From yellow to green: Swiss Post sells its long-distance bus business to FlixBusThe Munich-based startup will integrate the Postbus lines into its own platform starting in November.
By the end of the year, the Munich-based company plans to unify routes previously served by both providers, thereby strengthening regional services in Germany. Small towns that previously had no long-distance bus service are expected to benefit. André Schwämmlein, FlixBus founder and CEO, told dpa:
“For example, we want to serve the coast more frequently and expand cross-border traffic, but above all, we want to strengthen the regions.”
In the long term, customers will benefit from the market consolidation, according to Schwämmlein. Joachim Wessels, Managing Director of Deutsche Post Mobility, says:
“Our Postbus customers are invited to travel with FlixBus, which has the largest German and European long-distance bus network.”
FlixBus strengthens market leadership
Founded as a startup in 2013, Munich-based FlixBus claims to offer 100,000 daily connections to 900 destinations in 20 countries. With a market share of 71 percent, the company leads the market according to a study by IGES Institute on the German market. Postbus follows in second place with 10 percent. The yellow giant currently serves 120 destinations within Germany and neighboring countries.
Ticket sales via post offices, DHL delivery via long-distance bus
The two companies plan to work even more closely together in the future. FlixBus products are expected to be available at 5,000 Deutsche Post partner branches by the end of the year. Deutsche Post products will be promoted through FlixBus channels.
Schwämmlein explains to the dpa:
“While our positioning primarily appeals to a young, online-savvy audience, the Post Office has also reached senior citizens and families through offline sales channels.”
In addition, Deutsche Post is running an express courier service as a pilot project between Hamburg and Berlin, where DHL parcels are sent the same day by long-distance bus.
Continued expansion course
The acquisition of Postbus continues the consolidation of the young German long-distance bus market. FlixBus was able to prevail against a number of other market participants. Just last year, the Munich-based company merged with competitor MeinFernbus. In July 2016 They then bought the business of the British provider megabus.com in continental Europe.
