Contact us

• Status and organisation

  > Select a question What is La Poste’s status? How many people work for the La Poste group? Does La Poste have a monopoly in France? Is La Poste active outside France? Is La Poste subsidised by the French taxpayers? What is the "Service Universel Postal"?

  La Poste has been an "Exploitant Autonome de Droit Public" since 1^st January 1991.
  "Exploitant Autonome" roughly means that it operates as an autonomous business firm (inasmuch as it can negotiate and sign contracts with business partners and customers, invest abroad, set its own prices, and so on).

  "Droit Public" roughly means that it remains within the public sector realm (it serves the general interest, and the bulk of its staff have retained civil-servant status – if on a distinct scale).

  Its contract with the French Government states that it conducts business in 4 areas (Mail, Parcels, Financial services, and General public services).
  La Poste and its subsidiaries are a public sector corporation. They operate under the terms of the bylaws regulating their different business lines, and serve the general interest while engaging in open-market competition on several fronts.
  The public service side of La Poste’s national and international operations encompasses the "Service Universel Postal", which includes transporting and distributing newspapers and magazines as well as mail.

  The Code des Postes et des Communications Electroniques lays down its responsibilities as regard collecting, sorting, transporting and distributing mail, parcels and goods.

  Over 300,000 people work for the Group making it France’s leading employer.

  70% of La Poste’s turnover comes from open markets. Competition is rife on the financial services, parcel and express markets. On the mail market, only letters over 50 g are currently subject to competition, but within the next few years lighter letters are likely to be included too.

  La Poste is an international company which is present in over 40 countries and on 4 different continents. The Group counts over 250 subsidiaries for the development of its global activities.

  La Poste operates with its own income and uses the turnover from its different activities. Customer services generated over 20 billion euros en 2006. The company uses its product income to finance its capital investment programme for renovating post office branches, sorting centres, etc.

  La Poste was officially granted the role of primary delivery service in France in 1999.
  This involves providing a fully comprehensive service covering for example:
  - national and cross-border letter delivery of items 2 kg or less,
  - parcel deliveries for items up to 20 kg,
  - recorded deliveries and declared value consignments.

  La Poste consistently looks to provide the best economic and social solutions, within a guiding framework built upon the principles of equality, continuity and flexibility. It is committed to ensuring that services across the country consistently meet with fixed quality standards.

  All collection and delivery services handled by La Poste are offered at accessible prices and guaranteed on all working days, except under exceptional circumstances.

• La Poste business lines

  > Select a question What are the La Poste group’s main business lines? Which are the La Poste group’s subsidiaries?

  La Poste is active in 4 main areas.

  Mail: Le Courrier

  The Mail service is continuously modernising in order to be ready to meet the future challenges of an open market. A comprehensive programme is now in place which covers innovative business solutions, new technologies to facilitate administration and a 3.4 billion euro investment in industrial platforms.
  To find out more, click here.

  Parcels and Express: Le Colis-Express

  GeoPost and ColiPoste together represent the 2^nd largest parcel operator in Europe.
  ColiPoste leads the French market, with a strong e-commerce profile, and specialises in fast parcel delivery to private individuals.
  Geopost specialises in parcels up to 30 kg and has its sights on becoming the leading global operator.
  To find out more, click here.

  Banking: La Banque Postale

  La Banque Postale was launched on 1^st January 2006 and is the banking arm of the La Poste group. It represents a new and original concept in retail banking with its open door policy, and provides adapted banking and insurance solutions to almost 29 million customers.
  To find out more, click here.

  La Poste Retail Outlets

  La Poste is the leading provider of local services in France, with 17,000 post offices providing information on behalf of La Banque Postale, Le Courrier and Colis-Express. This position has been achieved through ambitious modernisation and by placing client relations at the heart of the brand’s strategy. Internet, telephone and automatic dispensing machines make La Poste more accessible than ever today.
  To find out more, click here.

  Mail

  All the La Poste group subsidiaries handling mail come under the Sofipost holding, which in turn runs 4 arms:

  • - Services,
  • - Publipost,
  • - International,
  • - Viapost.

  Services

  - ASPHERIA: outsourced document-management and mass-mailing solutions.
  - CERTINOMIS: electronic-exchange certification.
  - DOC STATION: document management (corporate-literature design, production and dispatching).
  - DYNAPOST: integrated corporate document logistics.
  - INGENIERIE SOLUTIONS COURRIER: integrated mail-management solutions and consulting.
  - MAILEVA: outsourced document-management and mail-on-demand solutions.
  - ORSID: electronic printing and digital storage.
  - SELISA: information system integration and engineering services.
  - SERES: electronic business exchange service hosting and development.
  - SF7: a call centre.

  Publipost

  - MEDIAPOST: France’s leading wholesale (unaddressed) promotional-mail distribution service.
  - MEDIAPOST DATA: close-range communication solutions.
  - STP: newspaper and magazine sorting and dispatching.
  - NEOLOG: global direct marketing logistics.
  - NEOPRESS: door-to-door newspaper and magazine delivery.

  International

  - BROKERS WORLDWIDE: international mail services in the United States.
  - LA POSTE UK LIMITED: international mail services in the United Kingdom.
  - SOFREPOST: international postal service consulting and assessments.

  Viapost

  - EUROPE AIRPOST: air mail services.

  Parcels

  GEOPOST was established in May 1999, and encompasses the La Poste group’s fully-owned subsidiaries and other operations handling parcels. The main ones are:
  - CHRONOPOST International: France-wide express parcel transport and delivery,
  - DPD: European parcel-rushing network,
  - EXAPAQ: France-wide B2B parcel delivery (up to 30 kg),
  - INTERLINK EXPRESS: British-based next-day parcel delivery service,
  - INTERLINK IRELAND: its equivalent in Ireland,
  - MASTERLINK: Poland-based express parcel transport and delivery company,
  - PARCELINE: British-based next-day parcel delivery service.

  La Banque Postale and its subsidiaries

  La Banque Postale is a La Poste subsidiary.

  - SF2, a holding, operates La Banque Postale's fully-owned subsidiaries and other operations.
  - ASSURPOSTE: personal insurance.
  - SOGEPOSTE: mutual funds.
  - SOGERCO:docinsurance brokers.
  - SOPASSURE, a La Banque Postale and Caisse d’Epargne holding controlling their stakes in CNP Assurances, an insurer.
  - X ANGE PRIVATE EQUITY: realty mutual funds.

• Financial information

  > Select a question Where can I find out about the La Poste group’s financial results? Where can I find a breakdown by business line (mail, parcels, post offices and financial services)? Where can I read the La Poste group’s financial report in English? Where can I read the La Poste group’s business report in English? Where can I read the La Poste group’s report on sustainable development?

  The main figures are in our Facts and Figures section, here.

  The main figures are in our Facts and Figures section, here.

  Our 2008 financial report is here (pdf - 820.76 kB)

  Our 2008 business report is here (pdf - 5.28 MB)

  2009 overview on sustainable development is here. (pdf - 934.78 kB)

• Press releases

  > Select a question Where can I read the La Poste group’s latest press releases?

  All our press releases and press kits are in our Press releases section, here.

• Working with us

  > Select a question Where can I find out about La Poste group vacancies outside France? Where can I find out about full-time and internship vacancies at La Poste group in France?

  If you want to apply for a job with the La Poste group outside France, please see:

  • - Brokersworldwide (site in English)
  • - Geopost (site in English)

  All our current job and internship vacancies are on the laposte.fr site’s "Recrutement" section (and only in French – fluent French is a prerequisite for a job at La Poste in France). Click here for more.

Back to top