Cargus accelerates its business and reports double-digit revenue growth in the first half of 2023

Cargus closes the first half of the year with a growth north of 10% in revenues, as compared to the corresponding period of 2022. The company budgeted 33 million lei for investments, with a focus on operational excellence, digital solutions for customers, optimizing the out of home network and expanding the business internationally. The micro and small businesses segment exceeded expectations and more than doubled in revenues.   Cargus, one of the biggest players in the Romanian courier industry, has gone through a major transformation in the last year and a half: team consolidation, strong improvements in operational excellence and developing technological solutions that offer a unique experience to its customers.   In the first half of 2023, Cargus recorded a growth north of 10% in revenues, compared to 2022, and a similar pace is expected for the whole year. The company plans to invest around 33 million lei for this year alone, with a focus on logistics, technological solutions for businesses and international expansion.   "2023 has all the features to be a good year for Cargus and to set our growth for the next years: an enriched team, an outstanding operational performance, future product launches that will become benchmarks for our customers’ experience and a growing business outside local borders. Just to name a few. In numbers, we started the year with positive premises, we more than doubled our growth, compared to where we ended last year, and estimate a further increase due to the consistent investments and the hard work of an agile team.”, says Yannick Mooijman, CEO Cargus.   Cargus continued its expansion towards European e-Commerce markets and the development of the cross-border segment. The company accelerated its business in Poland: has put in place the operational infrastructure, consolidated the team and added important customers to its portfolio.   In June, Vinted, Europe's largest marketplace platform in the field of second-hand fashion, partnered with Cargus, thus, joining other large companies, such as Bonprix or LPP.   Next steps consist in developing the business in Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Germany, focusing on creating infrastructure and developing logistics partnerships. Next year, the company expects to double its volumes the cross-border segment.   Growth on all business segments The e-Commerce segment represents an important part of Cargus’ portfolio. The company will continue to capture the domestic e-Commerce growth and expects a 7 – 10% increase of the local market overall by the end of the year.   Another Cargus segment that exceeded expectations is the micro and small businesses one – it more than doubled the volumes, compared to H1 2022, and is expected to continue to grow in a fast pace.   Analysing the industry profile, FMCG, IT&C, Beauty, Pharma and Books where the industries with the largest volumes delivered in January – June, FMCG being the industry with the most significant growth.   Logistical excellence In the first half of the year, Cargus enhanced its operational performance. Currently, 98% of parcels are delivered as promised to customers with the help of approximately 2,200 couriers that cover 12,500 unique location per month and through the 3,000 Cargus SHIP & GO locations. This is why, an important part of Cargus’ investment budget is directed towards the operational area - implementing logistic and operational solutions that increase the efficiency of the processing centres and offer customers a unique delivery experience.   The operational network consists of 5 national sorting centres, with a sorting capacity of 46,000 parcels per hour, 2 gateway centres with a strategic role for the cross-border deliveries and 36 warehouses across the country. In total, Cargus’ operational assets cover an area of over 220,000 sqm. Cargus plans to open a new warehouse in Sibiu in the near future.   In the same time, the company will soon launch two technological platforms with direct and real benefits for customers. The first is an omnichannel platform that perfects the communication stream with businesses and consumers, creating a seamless experience. The second is a dedicated platform that offers online shops a complete operational ecosystem – one tool for orders and stock management, which enables full integration with over 30 external marketplaces and reduces time, effort and needed resources.   The Cargus SHIP & GO out of home network was and continues to be one of Cargus’s investment directions. In less than a year the company reached 3,000 locations, in large, medium and small Romanian cities, and built an entire ecosystem of services and payment options around it. The volumes dedicated to the out of home network increased with 300% in less than a year.     About Cargus With over 30 years of experience, Cargus is the first courier company on the Romanian market. Currently, the company has over 3,000 employees and collaborators, offers a wide range of courier services: door to door delivery and through the out of home delivery network, SHIP & GO (partner points and lockers), which offers customers the opportunity to pick up or send parcels from over 3,000 points across the country.   In 2021, Cargus acquired QeOPS, one of the most important providers of e-fulfilment services and customized logistics solutions in Romania, complementing its services offered to customers.   Cargus’ excellent services were awarded at The Courier & Postal Services Business Awards for Excellence 2022 event, organized by GOVNET Romania: the Most Impressive Business Evolution and Best Web Application for Delivery Services. From the beginning of 2019, Cargus is part of Mid Europa Partners Investment Fund, one of the most active investors in Romania.