PostNord, a long-standing postal service provider in Denmark, has delivered its last letters. Few Danes now send ordinary letters, but some mourn "the end of an era," The New York Times reports, writes UNN.
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The Danish postal service has existed for over 400 years. But a sharp decline in its use has led the Scandinavian country's long-standing postal operator to completely cease letter delivery, a change that took effect on Tuesday, December 30.
Danes had been expecting this for several months: PostNord dismantled its red mailboxes, which were once common in public places.
The disappearance of mailboxes "really evoked strong emotions in people," said Julia Lahme, a trend researcher and director of the Danish communications agency Lahme, "even though most of them hadn't sent letters for 18 months."
According to PostNord, a company jointly owned by the Danish and Swedish governments, the number of letters sent by mail in the country has decreased by more than 90 percent since 2000. Next year, the company will only deliver parcels in Denmark, although it will continue to deliver letters in Sweden.
The changes are partly due to a reduction in the volume of government mail. Denmark is one of the most digital countries in the world. Only 250,000 people, or less than 5 percent of the population, still receive official communications by mail.
"People simply no longer rely on paper letters as they used to," Andreas Bretvad, PostNord Denmark's communications director, said in an email. He noted that with nine out of ten Danes shopping online monthly, these changes "are aimed at keeping up with the times and meeting society's needs. It's a natural evolution."
Denmark is not abandoning regular mail entirely. The remaining proponents of paper letters, as well as the few who have opted out of digital government communications, will be able to send and receive letters through the private company Dao.
While some Danes quietly mourn a service they have largely stopped using, this transition seems a sign of the times.
Physical mail delivery has declined worldwide, negatively impacting the work of postmen in Germany, Greece, the UK, and other countries. In March, PostNord announced a reduction of 1,500 employees in Denmark out of 4,600.
But Denmark appears to be the first country where a long-standing postal carrier is ceasing letter delivery. The Swiss Universal Postal Union, the United Nations postal agency, said it had no record of a similar move.
Many Danes were surprised when PostNord began dismantling its bright red mailboxes in June. When 1,000 mailboxes went on sale earlier this month, they sold out in less than three hours at a price equivalent to $315 or $236, depending on their condition, with proceeds going to help children from disadvantaged areas.
Danes were eager to get a piece of history, just like New Yorkers who bought old orange seats and decommissioned metal signs from the city's subway at a sale organized by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in the fall.
"It was amazing," said Mads Arlien-Søborg, a lifestyle trend researcher from Copenhagen, the country's capital. "There's a certain nostalgia to it that's very important."
Another 200 mailboxes, many decorated by local artists, will be auctioned next month. PostNord said it expects a quick sale at various prices.
"A whole era is coming to an end," said Magnus Restofte, director of the Enigma Museum of Communication in Copenhagen.
However, some experts point to signs of a return to letter writing among the younger generation – if not as a regular habit, then at least as a counter-cultural fascination with vintage technology.
"Fifty years ago, people received so many letters that they almost took them for granted," Restofte said. Today, letters have become more valuable, he added, "precisely because we receive so few of them."
Danish Post to stop sending letters from 202604.12.25, 06:52 • [views_5042]