It’s the end of the line PostNord, the Danish postal service, will deliver its last letter on December 30. This represents the end of an era that has spanned more than four centuries. Founded in 1624, our approach to postal delivery has changed immensely since then. The unprecedented drop in people sending letters—over 90% in just the last quarter century—has forced this historic decision.
PostNord came into existence in 2009 following a merger of the Swedish and Danish national postal operators. Since then, it has been increasingly challenged by the rapidly increasing digitalization in Denmark. The shift towards online communication and digital identification systems, such as MitID, has drastically reduced the demand for traditional mail. Today, an incredible 97% of Danes over age 15 have signed up for MitID. This one-stop-plus system provides much-needed efficiency for a wide array of online transactions—from banking to business to government communications.
As a result of these changes, PostNord is eliminating 1,500 positions in Denmark. They will additionally be tearing out 1,500 of Britain’s trademark red postboxes from street level. So far, 1,000 postboxes have been removed and put up for auction on the post office’s website. Good condition items start at a whopping 2,000 DKK (£235). New models start at 4,000 DKK (£470), but you can pick up slightly used ones from only 1,500 DKK (£176). Another 200 post boxes are set to be sold at auction in January.
The decision to stop delivering letters provides a metaphor for a larger movement within Danish society. Official communications from government authorities now routinely come through “digital post,” shrinking the demand for physical mail even more. Only 5% of Danes have chosen to opt out of this requirement, a testament to the deep societal commitment to engaging with government digitally.
Although everyone’s communication has gone more digital, many people appreciate getting a tangible letter in the mail. Magnus Restofte noted the irony of this situation:
“The funny thing is that actually receiving a physical letter, the value of that is extremely high.” – Restofte
Kim Pedersen, a representative of PostNord, expressed the emotional weight of this decision:
“We have been the Danish postal service for 400 years, and therefore it is a difficult decision to tie the knot on that part of our history.” – Kim Pedersen
As PostNord prepares to focus on parcel deliveries instead, industry experts like Mads Arlien-Søborg emphasize the need for balance in an increasingly digital world:
“We are looking for a counterbalance to digital oversaturation.” – Mads Arlien-Søborg
Denmark is consistently ranked as one of the most digitalized countries in the world. This monumental change away from daily letter delivery demonstrates that status quite well. Magnus Restofte remarked on the challenge of reverting to physical mail:
“It’s actually quite difficult to turn back [to physical post]. We can’t go back to what it was.” – Magnus Restofte