An Post is to hire 300 new post workers it deals with surging demand for its parcel delivery services nationwide with the growth of ecommerce platforms like Vinted and Shein.
An Post said parcel volumes in January and February 2026 are almost 50% higher than in the same months last year. Volumes in 2025 were 27% up on the prior year overall, leading to 3m parcels being delivered by An Post every week in the lead up to Christmas. The parcel business growth comes in the wake of the collapse of courier business Fastway in October 2025.
Fastway handled 25m parcels annually and employed 300 workers directly and close to 700 subcontractors and franchise delivery workers before its shock exit.
An Post is expected to announce its 2025 results in the second quarter of this year, and the company said they would show continued growth in revenue, earnings, cash, and profit. In 2024, the company said revenue from parcel delivery alone increased 12.6% (€20.8m).
The company has opened a new parcel processing facility at Cheeverstown in Dublin which will be automated over the coming months, in time for the 2026 peak season. “With burgeoning e-commerce growth, capacity is the major issue for An Post. 300 additional frontline delivery staff will increase capacity in the ‘last mile’ while additional processing at Cheeverstown will provide ‘middle mile’ capacity until a major new parcels site for Ireland is opened at the end of the decade,” said An Post chief executive David McRedmond. “We continue to target efficiencies in non-frontline areas, through process redesign and technology.”
Mr McRedmond said the growth in 2026 shows the seismic impact of online on global trade. “Parcel network capacity is an essential infrastructure for the State, allowing people and businesses to locate and operate anywhere.”
An Post increased the price of a postage stamp at the start of February, with national postage stamps increasing by 20c to €1.85 while stamps to Britain and Europe increased 85c to €3.50, and stamps for the rest of the world rose to €3.95. An Post blamed increased costs and falling letter volumes, with letter volumes declining by 7% in the last 12 months and more than 50% since 2016.
