Rising costs, falling letter volumes Swiss Post expects a "significant" drop in profits
Swiss Post is facing a slump in profits: due to falling letter volumes and higher costs, earnings are likely to be significantly lower in 2025 - while the Federal Council is already working on a postal reform.
26.10.2025, 06:21
26.10.2025, 08:15
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- Swiss Post is expecting significantly lower profits in 2025 than in the previous year.
- This is due to falling letter volumes and rising costs, which will not be offset by the parcel business.
- The Federal Council is planning a reform with new rules for competition and the universal service.
According to interim CEO Alex Glanzmann, Swiss Post is expecting a "significant" drop in profit compared to last year. "We are expecting a low three-digit million figure," Glanzmann said in an interview with SonntagsBlick.
Swiss Post generated a Group profit of 324 million francs in 2024. It thus increased its result by 70 million francs compared to the previous year, as announced in March.
When it published its half-year figures in August, Swiss Post had to announce a fall in profit. The operating result fell by 29 percent in the first half of 2025 and amounted to 118 million francs. Profit fell by 44 percent to 74 million francs.
The main reasons for the half-year results were the continuing decline in letter volumes, newspapers and the over-the-counter business as well as rising costs, it was reported in the summer. There was a positive change in the use of PostBus and the parcel market during this period.
Parcels do not compensate for letters
"The problem is that the shrinking letter business cannot be compensated for by parcels," said Glanzmann in a recent interview on Sunday. Today, 1.6 billion letters are sent, but only 180 million parcels. The situation regarding margins is different.
Activities that are detached from the core business are therefore important for Swiss Post in order to avoid becoming a "shrinking cost organization", said Glanzmann. 85 percent of turnover is currently generated in free competition. Under the same rules as for everyone else, he emphasized. "Around 15 percent still comes from a monopoly," said the interim head of Swiss Post.
There has recently been political resistance to activities in free competition. In the opinion of the National Council's Economic Commission, Swiss Post should not be allowed to compete excessively with private companies. The Federal Council also wants guard rails in this respect and is planning a comprehensive postal reform. However, the Federal Council also wants to be able to react to the basic service - for example, if the demand for letter post continues to fall. The consultation process is not due to begin until June 2026.
