Mail, useful uphill despite the drop in letters (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• Swiss Post recorded a strong increase in profits in the first half of 2026, rising to CHF 139 million.
• Revenues for the year reached CHF 3.67 billion, supported by logistics and financial services.
• Management calls for caution, highlighting the close correlation between operating margins and universal service financing.

Key facts

• What: strong increase in half-yearly profitability for the former federal directorate
• When: data referring to the first half of 2026
• Where: Swiss territory, with impacts on key logistics centres such as Härkingen and Daillens
• Who: Swiss Post SA led by CFO Alex Glanzmann
• Amount: net profit of CHF 139 million compared to CHF 74 million in the corresponding previous period

Swiss Post recorded an increase in profits in the first half of 2026. The group's profit rose from 74 to 139 million. Revenues for the year increased slightly, reaching CHF 3.67 billion.

The financial director Alex Glanzmann urged caution, stressing that for every franc of turnover at the Post Office there are less than 5 cents of EBIT, with which to also finance a public service that costs about 365 million francs per year. This operating profitability is affected by the digital transition, which accelerates the decline in volumes of traditional letters in favor of electronic communications, however, balanced by the growth of managed packages

Operational details

The increase in Swiss Post's profits was possible thanks to the growth of logistics, with a 5.6% increase in parcels shipped, and PostFinance, whose EBIT grew from 135 to 167 million francs. Price measures and savings programs also contributed. However, the volume of letters has decreased by 5% and compared to ten years ago the decline reaches 38%. Cash payments at the counter fell by 11% in the semester and by 68% over ten years.

This evolution reflects a profound structural transformation that runs through Swiss urban centres, from Zurich to Geneva, via Bern and Lugano, where citizens are rapidly adopting digital channels such as Twint and e-banking. The Federal Law on Postal Services and the Postal Ordinance define the universal service mandate, obliging the Post Office to guarantee access to payment and postal services throughout the national territory, although the delivery method is shifting towards consortium solutions and municipal agencies, particularly in the Alpine cantons such as Graubünden and Valais.

📊 The half-yearly data show contrasting dynamics:

• Logistical volumes: 92 million parcels handled in the sorting centres of Daillens, Härkingen and Frauenfeld.
• Financial services: PostFinance manages assets of over CHF 115 billion despite regulatory constraints on direct mortgage lending on its own.
• Physical network: offices

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Key points

At the same time, digital services are growing. The use of the Mail app increased by 57.6% compared to the first half of 2025 and «My digital mail» has over 1.4 million registered users throughout the Confederation, with a strong concentration in urban centers such as Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Of these, 630,000 receive correspondence exclusively in digital format, three times more than a year ago. This technological transition is accelerating particularly in urban areas, while in mountain cantons and peripheral regions the demand for physical counters remains high.

Syndicom criticised public service cuts and staff-saving measures implemented by management. According to the union, the steady increase in parcel volumes – driven by the e-commerce boom – has brought the workload in sorting centres to levels that are no longer sustainable for logistics workers. According to the trade union representatives, the positive trend in business does not justify further pressure on employees or reductions in the performance of the basic postal service guaranteed by the federal concession.

It is important to note that Swiss Post is a public service that costs about 365 million francs per year to the community, according to financial data published by the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DATEC). For employees subject to the collective agreement of

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Source: tio.ch