DHL Targets Eastern Europe as It Plans to Double E-commerce Revenue

DHL e-Commerce is looking for more acquisition opportunities in Eastern Europe as it works toward an ambitious goal: doubling its revenue over the next five years.

The division generated €6.9 billion in revenue in 2025. CEO Pablo Ciano told German logistics publication DVZ that doubling this figure is a strategic ambition rather than a formal forecast. Eastern Europe is expected to play an important role, with DHL looking for parcel companies that could strengthen its domestic and cross-border delivery network.

The strategy shows how Europe’s e-commerce infrastructure is becoming increasingly interconnected. Selling across borders may happen digitally, but delivering those orders efficiently still requires strong local networks.

Eastern Europe Becomes the Next Target

DHL sees fewer gaps remaining in its Western and Southern European network.

In the United Kingdom, DHL combined its parcel operations with Evri and took a minority stake in the resulting business. In Spain and Portugal, it established a strategic partnership with postal operator CTT. DHL’s 2026 half-year report confirms that it now owns 25% of CTT Expresso, while CTT acquired interests in DHL’s Iberian operations.

Attention is now moving east.

DHL agreed in July to acquire Venipak, subject to regulatory approval. The deal would establish DHL eCommerce’s own operations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia while adding Venipak’s domestic delivery infrastructure and approximately 800 parcel lockers to its network.

Connecting these local networks matters because DHL’s cross-border parcel business is currently growing by around 15% annually. The company is also developing stronger e-commerce routes between Europe and the Americas.

Parcel Lockers Become Part of E-commerce Infrastructure

DHL’s strategy is not limited to acquisitions.

Parcel shops and lockers are becoming increasingly important parts of its network. Ciano says volumes handled through these locations are growing by around 50% annually.

Part of that growth comes from second-hand e-commerce.

Platforms such as Vinted connect individual buyers and sellers across multiple European countries, creating delivery patterns that differ from traditional retailer-to-consumer e-commerce. 

DHL and Vinted expanded their cooperation in Germany this year, while DHL is also developing locker partnerships in markets including Italy.

The result is a European delivery network that is more flexible around how, where, and from whom consumers purchase products.

Products Need to Cross Digital Borders Too

Another layer of cross-border ecommerce happens before a parcel enters DHL’s network.

A retailer expanding into another European country needs to make its catalog work there too.

Product identifiers and technical specifications need to remain consistent, while descriptions, regulatory information and other content may need localization. Large assortments can make this difficult when retailers are selling through several marketplaces and e-commerce channels simultaneously.

This creates a natural connection with Icecat.

Structured and standardized product information helps brands, distributors and retailers distribute consistent product content across markets. Instead of rebuilding the catalog for every new destination, businesses can reuse a common product-data foundation and adapt market-specific information where needed.

Logistics providers and product-content platforms operate at different stages of e-commerce, but both address the same underlying challenge: removing friction when businesses expand beyond their home market.

Cross-Border E-commerce Needs Connected Networks

DHL’s acquisition strategy suggests that European e-commerce logistics may increasingly be built through connected local networks rather than one uniform delivery operation.

Local parcel companies provide knowledge, infrastructure and customer access in individual markets. DHL can connect those capabilities to a larger international network.

Product catalogs increasingly work the same way. Brands need information that remains consistent internationally while still accommodating local languages, regulations, retailers and marketplaces.

DHL’s goal of doubling ecommerce revenue will depend on many factors, and Ciano explicitly describes it as an ambition rather than a forecast. But the company’s investments show where it expects growth to come from: cross-border parcels, local delivery infrastructure and increasingly connected European markets.

For e-commerce businesses, reaching customers in another country is becoming easier. Making the entire journey work, from the product listing to the parcel locker, still depends on connecting the infrastructure behind it.