As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of March, 2020, templates for the retention of packages and shipments have so far been able to be arranged and completed exclusively at post offices and at a charge. Croatian Post has now changed this in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Here is Croatian Post's statement translated into English and transmitted in full:

''In order to make it easier for recipients of packages who are currently unable to reside at their addresses (for example, citizens of parts of Zagreb who were forced to leave their homes due to the earthquake), Croatian Post has provided a free redirection and package retention service. To use the service, you just need to fill in the form on the website: https://nadoslanje.posta.hr/.

This is another measure by which Croatian Post, during the coronavirus epidemic, ensures that consignments are delivered to recipients, wherever they are. Users may request that postal items be delivered to another address within the same county (the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County are now viewed as one entity) or be kept safe at the post office.

In order to ensure continued service to citizens during the coronavirus crisis and in the coming period, the number of post offices still operating has been reduced. This will ensure that we always have a group of standby employees and all cities and municipalities will continue to have post offices available. Local changes were first notified to local government representatives. Information on the working hours of post offices is available at: https://www.posta.hr/rad-postanske-ureda/8282.

We'd like to thank citizens for their support and understanding.

Croatian Post, in accordance with the instructions of the competent authorities, is adjusting its operations and taking all measures to reduce the possibility of the epidemic spreading and to ensure business continuity. We provide our employees with protective and disinfectants, and the way our postmen and post offices work has changed.''

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Croatian Post is stepping up in the face of the current pandemic by donating something that is the object of desire for many to the Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital in Zagreb.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of March, 2020, in the midst of the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak and the emergency situation in which we all find ourselves, Croatian Post (Hrvatska Pošta) is donating a 200,000 kuna respirator to the Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital. The respirator also comes with all the accessories needed for proper clinical use.

Aware of its important role in the community, especially during emergencies, in addition to donating to the Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital, Croatian Post has made its facilities available to the Croatian Red Cross and the Croatian Caritas.

Corporate social responsibility, which includes donations and support to local communities, is the framework of the wider Post2022 development strategy.

In accordance with the instructions of the competent authorities and the Civil Protection Headquarters, Croatian Post has readily adjusted its operations and took all of the necessary measures to reduce the possibility of spreading the ongoing coronavirus epidemic and to ensure as much fluid business continuity as possible.

''We're supply our employees with protective and disinfectants,'' the company stated.

The method of delivery of postage has been changed and postmen must avoid any direct contact with customers. All post offices also have spacing rules for users to abide by. Additionally, post office hours were shortened in accordance with the recommendations recently issued by the National Civil Protection Headquarters, who may need to bring in even more stringent measures if the current ones continue being improperly adhered to.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of March, 2020, in order to make everyday life easier for Croatia's residents during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic and to help them make sure they leave their homes as little as possible, two major Croatian companies, Podravka and Croatian Post, have joined forces and made online ordering of Podravka's food packages possible, with free delivery.

This package preparation action has been prompted by numerous inquiries from residents across the country about the delivery options for Podravka's products, which are most commonly used in their households and are always in high demand.

Special packages that can now be ordered through the Yellow Click online store for price tags of 500 and 800 kuna, are the products for both adults and kids, and are precisely the ones that are the most wanted from Podravka's range according to available sales data, such as yeast, soups, canned vegetables, canned fish, baby food, dessert products, spreads, etc. These individual product prices are the lowest regular prices on the market, and the packages can be ordered and sent to someone else.

''While the vast majority of residents are now in their homes, our employees are working tirelessly to produce enough food for everyone. In addition, we're putting extra effort into packing and preparing packages which arrive at people's home addresses by mail so that they're able to stay indoors as much as possible. In this way, with our partner Croatian Post, we're supporting the activities of the competent institutions aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus,'' said Marin Pucar, CEO of Podravka.

Ivan Čulo, CEO of Croatian Post, pointed out: ''We feel a duty to help when we have the opportunity. Podravka and the Post Office will jointly provide a great ordering service through Yellow Click for the delivery of food packages. Postmen are always available to people, especially in times of crisis. All of our employees have been provided with protective equipment, extreme care is taken in regard to hygiene and the number of handling of individual shipments is limited. We'll transport the packages in completely safe conditions.''

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Croatian Post (Hrvatska posta) has stopped shipping small packages from China to Croatia, everything ordered through AliExpress will not be shipped.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Bernard Ivezic writes on the 6th of February, 2020, fortunately, the coronavirus epidemic has not yet hit the health of the population in Croatia, but its onset has already hit the domestic economy.

Fuel might well be getting cheaper, but online purchases from China, primarily via AliExpress, has now been discontinued, and Croatian retailers predict that the economic impact of coronavirus, primarily on technological products, may soon be coming in the form of higher prices. Oil prices have fallen below 50 US dollars per barrel (49.92 US dollars), the lowest level in the past year, due to falling demand in China. The world's largest economy is also the world's largest oil importer.

But to curb the epidemic, the Chinese Government is shutting down factories, slowing down domestic and foreign trade, and introducing quarantines, and as such, the demand for oil on that market is falling. Consequently, prices of gasoline and diesel are also falling in Croatia as well. Other economic effects of the coronavirus epidemic will have a bad effect on business in Croatia. For starters, the coronavirus epidemic has temporarily shut down AliExpress's domestic business. Croatian Post first announced that it had received information from KLM, Lufthansa LH and Turkish Airlines that, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, they had suspended flights to China until further notice, and that this would affect the delivery of packages from there.

At the request of Poslovni Dnevnik, Croatian Post confirmed that the delivery of small packages from China to Croatia has now ceased. Therefore, no small packages you order through AliExpress from China will be able to ship to you at this time.

"The postal items from China to Croatia come exclusively by air, and although the carriers have primarily suspended flights because of the passengers, the shipments cannot reach Croatia," Croatian Post explains.

In numbers, this means that from Saturday to Tuesday, more than 100,000 packages, which should have been delivered to customers in Croatia, remained stuck in warehouses in China. By the end of this week, that figure will climb to about 250,000 packages and will not be able to be reduced until they can fly or the Chinese merchants divert air shipping to container shipping.

"About one million shipments come from China on a monthly basis, and the total number of packages has been growing steadily in recent years, by up to 20 percent annually," they say from Croatian Post. They state that this is a direct consequence of the growth of online commerce. However, just delaying deliveries from AliExpress could have a positive effect in the short term, that is, boost the sales of local online retailers. Not in the long run, however, because China is the world's largest factory.

Sime Essert, CEO of Nabava.net, an online service that compares the prices of more than 200 stores in Croatia, says that a real slowdown in direct imports from China will boost domestic online stores in the short term.

"Anyone who works with suppliers who will not be quarantined could profit in this situation or, for example, those who have a supply of limited goods. It's worth remembering the explosion of graphics card prices when the Bitcoin mining mania started," said Essert.

He added that at the moment, they haven't noticed any significant changes in the prices of technical goods, but that this can't be excluded. Essert stated that factories and stores are closing in China, and despite announcing and when they will reopen, it remains to be seen if that will actually happen. However, he points out that prices could also fall.

"Things like this definitely affect supply, but also demand, so it's possible that prices will drop as well," explained Essert.

On the other hand, the prices of certain technological products are expected to rise globally. Informin Tech's IHS service announced that five factories of LCD and OLED screens, located in Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic, have been shut down by the Chinese Government to prevent the spread of the virus. China should produce 55 percent of LCDs in the world by 2020. Informa states that, according to initial estimates in February, only a decline in the production of such displays in China could be between 10 and 20 percent, and this will first affect manufacturers of TVs, laptops and PCs.

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Let's be completely honest, Croatian Post (Hrvatska posta) tends to have issues delivering from anywhere to anywhere, even within the borders of Croatia, let alone far beyond them. The company isn't best known for being particularly reliable.

Many people have waited weeks for a parcel or letter to be delivered from Karlovac to Dubrovnik, and many others have simply had their parcels ''go missing'' and letters vanish into thin air. That being said, it looks as if Croatian Post's services could improve and finally be dragged into the 21st century with the introduction of drones to deliver packages. But what about the worrying situation with coronavirus and China?

As Gordana Grgas/Novac writes on the 1st of February, 2020, Croatian Post informed its disgruntled users recently that there might be difficulties in delivering shipments from the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Croatia, and the reason appears to be related to the concerning coronavirus outbreak. Much has been written here in Croatia about the virus after a bus carrying 300 people from Wuhan itself, where coronavirus broke out, crossed the border at Bregana into Croatia, apparently without any issue at all.

To speak more specifically, Croatian Post stated that it received information from several airlines - KLM, Lufthansa LH and Turkish Airlines - that "to prevent the spread of coronavirus,'' flights from the People's Republic of China to the the Republic of Croatia will not continue to operate for the foreseeable future, until coronavirus is somehow brought under control.

According to a notice published on Croatian Post's website, the decision will affect normal postal services in the exchange of parcels between Croatia and China, so they ask the users of their services to understand. They will notify users of any changes in a timely manner, they state.

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Croatian Post (Hrvatska posta) can hardly be accused of being quick and sadly, it's often not reliable at all. Most, if not all people who live in Croatia have a multitude of stories of parcels and letters never arriving, or arriving incredibly late, tampered with, broken... the list goes on, and then on a bit more. Could we finally be seeing Croatian Post leave the dark ages?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of January, 2020, drones have already proven to be extremely useful in crisis situations and in accessing hard-to-reach areas successfully, such as when delivering drugs or antidotes, and some industries have already introduced them to their business, providing an integral role. Drones are now very frequently used in urban planning, geographical mapping, archeology and construction, as well as in various types of agriculture.

A number of postal operators began testing drone delivery several years ago and in spite of high expectations, they still found some shortcomings. However, with the added advancement of free-flying technology, the use of drones is being considered today even for the commercial delivery of shipments.

Thus, Croatian Post has successfully tested the possibilities of drone delivery and made its first delivery from the port of Gaženica (Zadar) to Preko on the nearby island of Ugljan. Along this route, the drone flew autonomously, at a speed of 35 km/h for about twelve or so minutes. It is part of a pilot project with the Croatian company AIR-RMLD that deals with the development of commercial and industrial services using drones.

During the pilot project, the drone successfully delivered what it needed to from Gaženica to Preko a dozen times, and it also flew during a storm. The drone used in Croatian Post's testing can carry loads of up to 200 grams, and it flies completely autonomously along a pre-programmed route. The testing will show the possibilities of using drones in the delivery of letters and parcels between post offices and deal with the needs of Croatian Post for the use of this type of technology.

Today, Croatian Post is testing smart solutions faster and much more often - from augmented reality goggles, pallet transport robots to electric vehicles and drones. Teams are engaged in artificial intelligence, robots, augmented reality, advanced data analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT).

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Croatian Post. The very words are enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone who has attempted to receive a package on time, or even at all, especially when said package is coming from abroad. That being said, could a new service improve things? Apparently.

As Novac writes on the 10th of January, 2020, in order to properly provide its customers with a simple, convenient and fast service, Croatian Post (Hrvatska pošta) has introduced the fast package delivery option in its offer - Paket 24.

Croatian Post's brand new service is one that covers the whole of the Republic of Croatia. It stresses that whether the package is going to city or to one of the country's 67 inhabited islands, and the package is contracted through the web application, at a post office or by calling a contact centre, then it will be covered by the service.

In addition, customers can choose delivery times as well as pick up locations for the package, and the service can also be ordered on Saturdays, too. Each shipment can be secured, and Croatian Post also provides services such as cash on delivery, delivery by return receipt, or requesting that the service be paid by a recipient who can track their package on the Croatian Post website in real time.

The new service is part of Croatian Post's strategy, which aims to further develop its core business, improve existing services and develop and introduc more new ones. As part of this, several months ago, a sorting centre was opened in Velika Gorica near the City of Zagreb, which Croatian Post claims to be the best logistics centre in this part of Europe.

Could Croatian Post finally enter the 21st century and end the senseless and outdated process of running around chasing undelivered packages that vanish into thin air? Hopefully.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 20th of December, 2019, Croatian Post (Hrvatska pošta) has introduced autonomous pallet transport robots made by the Croatian company Gideon Brothers to their workforce in their brand new sorting centre, thereby strongly supporting the development of core business as the most important determinant of the Post 2022 Strategy, which links machines, people, products and business systems.

Robotic systems reduce overall service costs, shorten service cycle times and increase the efficiency of energy systems.

Robots do not replace humans in the workforce, but they act as their efficient tool and help them to achieve goals they had never imagined being able to do before their appearance. This principle is also guided by the aforementioned Croatian robotics and artificial intelligence company - Gideon Brothers.

Along with a quality business solution, this principle was Croatian Post's guiding principle in deciding to launch a pilot project for the use of autonomous pallet transport robots in their new sorting centre.

The pilot project will be implemented over the next four months in Croatian Post's warehouse and sorting facility, and human workers who will be working alongside the new robots will be trained during this period. Robots in the Croatian Post warehouse will assist with the picking and transportation of goods, while in the sorting room, they will serve to transport shipments from vehicles to the processing and preparation points ready for delivery.

A self-propelled logistics robot can carry as much as 800 kilograms of cargo and safely maneuver around people, equipment and other moving machines. These Croatian robots are equipped with autonomy technology based on visual perception, which combines in-depth learning with stereoscopic cameras to create a new generation of robotic vision.

All this shows that Croatian Post is very open to new opportunities offered by technology which can provide a competitive advantage and thus help the Croatian economy to use and create opportunities that bring new technologies, enabling a full circle of continuous development.

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Croatian Post note that the running of their pilot project has shown that there is indeed an interest in this type of service, which is why they will offer cryptocurrency purchases at post offices across the country.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 11th of December, 2019, Croatian Post (HP) announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its cryptocurrency buying service to a total of 55 post offices in all Croatian counties, and has also announced that it will be possible to buy cryptocurrencies in the future at Croatian Post branches.

"Following the successful implementation and good results of our pilot project to buy cryptocurrencies in Zadar's post offices, Croatian Post is extending this service to a total of 55 post offices in all counties," HP said in a statement.

All Croatian and foreign users will be able to change their cryptocurrencies into kuna in a few simple steps, they say.

After an application is submitted, a QR code is scanned and the cash is received at the post office. It is possible to replace the five most commonly used cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Stellar, Ripple and EOS, Croatian Post explained, adding that detailed information on all services can be found on the website crypto.posta.hr.

"In recent years, more and more cryptocurrency users have been planning their trips in places where they can exchange their digital money into local currency. With the wide range of this service, Croatian cities will become even more interesting to many visitors," a statement from Croatian Post said.

A list of all Croatian post offices offering this service can be found on the Crypto Centre portal (crypto.posta.hr), where a calculator is also available, which can help you find out how much kuna is offered for each cryptocurrency.

"The plan is to introduce the possibility of buying cryptocurrencies in Croatian Post post offices in the future, which will make the offices the central place for dealing with cryptocurrencies in numerous places across Croatia," they announced, noting that digitalisation is one of Croatian Post's development strategies and a driver numerous business projects.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 20th of November, 2019, a tportal rreader found a note in his mailbox on Monday saying that his parcel was delivered to him on Friday, so he went to Croatian Post himself to find out what was really going on with his package.

The time before Christmas is the peak season for all courier services, and it's no different for Croatian Post (Hrvatska Pošta), through whose hands go the largest number of various packages and shipments ordered from online stores worldwide. Two months ago, Croatian Post was banned from charging for the delivery of smaller packages weighing less than two pounds, so, unfortunately many people noticed that their parcels were often not even delivered to their home addresses.

A tportal reader complained that a mailman left a message in his mailbox claiming that his parcel was waiting for him to come and pick it up at his local Croatian Post office, and the item in questioned was of course ordered from an online store, and getting certain large online stores to actually deliver to Croatia is already a task in itself. As previously stated, the reader found a note in his mailbox on Monday saying that the package was delivered to him on Friday, so he went to the Post Office to find out what was going on.

He was told, as he claims, that Croatian Post no longer delivers small parcels since their payment of 4.5 kuna was abolished and that the item was too large to be left in the mailbox, so the postman decided to leave a notice of attempted delivery only, but the reader claims he didn't even ring the doorbell.

The Post Office says that small ordinary parcels that have arrived from abroad and other ordinary parcels are, as a rule, delivered by inserting them into people's designated mailboxes.

''Before the cancellation of the payment (to Croatian Post), small packages were delivered personally to customers, but solely because of the obligation of payment. As this obligation no longer exists today, small parcels, like other ordinary shipments, are put into mailboxes - if the dimensions allow it,'' they explain.

It's worth mentioned that Croatian Post no longer has to charge an additional postage of 4.50 kuna for the delivery of small packages from abroad, as this was forbidden by HAKOM.

HAKOM, as explained, ruled that Croatian Post can no longer charge their fee for the delivery of small parcels. The good news for all citizens is that despite issues with simply not receiving parcels and mailmen not even ringing the door bell, Croatian Post cannot appeal this decision, although it may bring an administrative dispute before the High Administrative Court against HAKOM, but a possible lawsuit will not delay the enforcement of the ruling.

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