General Logistics Systems
General Logistics Systems (GLS) is a privately held Dutch parcel logistics company that provides domestic and cross-border parcel, express, freight, and e-commerce fulfilment services across approximately 40 European countries and developing North American markets, serving both B2B shippers and B2C retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersOude Meer, Netherlands
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What General Logistics Systems does
General Logistics Systems B.V. (GLS) is a privately held parcel logistics company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 1989 and operating under Dutch commercial register KVK No. 34125684. The company provides deferred and time-definite parcel delivery, express, freight and pallet transport, e-commerce fulfilment, and cross-border shipping services across approximately 40 European countries (with wholly-owned subsidiaries in 19 EU markets), eight U.S. states, and Canada. GLS targets both business-to-business shippers (industrial parcel, freight, express) and business-to-consumer/e-commerce retailers, served through direct sales teams and local country management under an entrepreneurial operating model.
Its service platform combines core transport products with a modular suite of value-added services, including the FlexDeliveryService and GLS Delivery Manager (recipient-controlled delivery options), CashService (POS-enabled cash-on-delivery), ParcelShop and ParcelLocker pickup points, ShopDeliveryService, ShopReturnService, DeliveryAtWorkService, Pick&ReturnService, and InfoService/PreAdviceService notifications. Underlying technology centres on real-time Track & Trace, the MyGLS shipping program with API/ERP integrations for label generation, and a mobile app supported by HEREMAPS-powered locator and standard web analytics (Google Analytics, Hotjar, Piano, AppsFlyer, Meta Pixel). No proprietary AI/ML capabilities are evidenced in the source data.
GLS generates revenue primarily through per-parcel transaction fees on standard and express delivery, with managed-services revenue from fulfilment and freight solutions and multi-year contracted pricing for regular shippers exceeding 40 parcels per month. Distribution combines owned couriers in subsidiary markets, franchisees in Italy (covering territories including San Marino and Vatican City), and partner-led service in non-owned geographies such as the United Kingdom (Parcelforce Worldwide), China (SF Express), Switzerland/Liechtenstein (Swiss Post), Norway (Posten Norge), Sweden (DSV Road AB), Malta (MaltaPost), the Baltic states (Smartposti), Cyprus (ACS), and Bulgaria (Interlogistica).
General Logistics Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- General Logistics Systems
- Legal name
- General Logistics Systems B.V.
- Website
- https://gls-group.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- General Logistics Systems (GLS) is a privately held Dutch parcel logistics company that provides domestic and cross-border parcel, express, freight, and e-commerce fulfilment services across approximately 40 European countries and developing North American markets, serving both B2B shippers and B2C retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
General Logistics Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Parcel and Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), General Freight Trucking, Local (48411)
- SIC
- Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Trucking (No Local) (4213)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Economy/Deferred Parcel (2–7 Day) (TLAAACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- B2B Standard Parcel & Ground Parcel Networks (TLAAACAC), SMB/Commercial B2C Standard Parcel Delivery (TLAAACAB)
Keywords
Where General Logistics Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oude Meer
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices10 records
Markets served
General Logistics Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Parcel Delivery Services: Core revenue from domestic and international parcel delivery services for B2B and B2C customers. Charges are based on parcel weight, dimensions, destination, and service level (standard, express).
- Express Services: Premium delivery services with guaranteed delivery times, such as guaranteed delivery by 13:00 offered in France and other markets.
- Fulfilment Services: Warehouse and order fulfillment services for e-commerce businesses, including storage, picking, packing, and shipping capabilities.
- Logistics Services: Freight and logistics solutions including cargo and pallet transport, often through separate freight networks as offered by GLS Belgium and GLS Netherlands.
- CashService: Cash-on-delivery service allowing recipients to pay for parcels upon receipt using cash or payment cards. GLS couriers carry POS terminals for card payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Parcel Delivery |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Express Delivery |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Contract-Based Regular Shipping |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Insurance Coverage |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
General Logistics Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
General Logistics Systems (GLS) provides deferred parcel delivery, express, fulfilment, freight/logistics, and cross-border parcel services for B2B and B2C customers across approximately 40 European countries plus eight U.S. states and Canada. Services are operated primarily through wholly owned national subsidiaries and complemented by partner networks in non-subsidiary markets, supported by recipient-controlled delivery technology and a dense network of Parcel Shops and Parcel Lockers.
Product overview
GLS operates as a pan-European parcel logistics network offering a unified platform of logistics services with modular add-on capabilities. The core portfolio consists of Standard Parcel Services (deferred domestic and international delivery across approximately 40 European countries, 8 U.S. states, and Canada), Express Services (time-definite delivery), Logistics/Freight Services (cargo, pallets, and specialized transport), Fulfilment Services (e-commerce warehousing), and Cross-Border Services (B2C and B2B international solutions). These core services are enhanced through a suite of value-added modules including FlexDeliveryService (flexible delivery management), GLS Delivery Manager (recipient control portal), CashService (cash-on-delivery), Track & Trace (real-time tracking), ShopDeliveryService (parcel shop delivery), ParcelShop/ParcelLocker (pickup networks), InfoService/PreAdviceService (notifications), ShopReturnService (returns), DeliveryAtWorkService (workplace delivery), and the My GLS mobile application. GLS provides services through a combination of direct subsidiaries in major markets (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, UK, USA, Canada) and partner networks in other regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Standard Parcel Services Deferred domestic and international parcel delivery across approximately 40 European countries, plus eight U.S. states and Canada, primarily operated through GLS-owned subsidiaries. Targeted at B2B and B2C shippers needing standard transit-time parcel delivery.
- Express Services Premium parcel delivery services with guaranteed or time-definite delivery windows (e.g., guaranteed delivery by 13:00 in France), offered alongside the standard parcel line for time-sensitive B2B and B2C shipments.
- Logistics Services Freight, cargo, and pallet transport solutions operated through dedicated freight networks (e.g., GLS Belgium, GLS Netherlands), serving businesses requiring goods transport beyond standard parcel sizes.
- Fulfilment Services Warehouse and order fulfilment services for e-commerce retailers, covering storage, picking, packing, and shipping, intended to bundle upstream inventory handling with GLS last-mile delivery.
- Cross-Border Services International parcel delivery services for both B2C cross-border e-commerce and B2B cross-border business shipments across approximately 40 European countries, with customs clearance support.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nationwide next-day delivery standard in Slovenia, Romania, and most other European markets
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use General Logistics Systems
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
General Logistics Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature4 records
General Logistics Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SF ExpresscoreSF Express is GLS's partner in China. SF Express is the largest integrated logistics service provider in China and Asia and the fourth largest in the world. They provide domestic and international end-to-end one-stop supply chain services and leverage leading technology and R&D capabilities for digital supply chain ecosystems.
- ACS S.A.coreGLS partner in Cyprus. ACS S.A. provides parcel delivery services under the GLS brand in the Cyprus market.
- Swiss Post GLScoreSwiss Post GLS is GLS's partner for Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Services range from individual parcel shipping to company-specific or industry-specific logistics, customs clearance and transport solutions for parcels up to 40 kg.
- Interlogistica Ltd.coreGLS partner in Bulgaria located in Varna. Provides parcel delivery services under the GLS brand.
- MaltaPost p.l.c.coreMaltaPost is Malta's leading postal services company and sole licensed Universal Service Provider of postal service in the Maltese Islands. They service as GLS partner for Malta, operating a comprehensive retail network of Post Offices and delivering mail 6-days-a-week to every address.
- Posten Norge AScoreGLS partner in Norway providing parcel delivery services under the GLS brand.
- DSV Road ABcoreGLS partner in Sweden. DSV Road AB provides parcel and logistics services under the GLS brand.
- Parcelforce WorldwidecoreGLS partner in the United Kingdom located at Coventry International Hub. Provides parcel delivery services under the GLS brand.
- Smartposti OÜ / SmartPosti SIA / SmartPosti UABcoreGLS partners in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (Baltic states). Smartposti/SmartPosti provides parcel delivery services across the Baltic region under the GLS brand.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
General Logistics Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Swiss Post: Swiss national postal operator acting as GLS partner in Switzerland/Liechtenstein; comparable on parcel + logistics services, customs clearance, and B2B/B2C delivery, but operates as regional partner to GLS rather than direct competitor in their home market.
Broad incumbents
- Amazon Logistics: Scaled entrant delivering its own e-commerce parcel volume across Europe and increasingly commercial capacity; pressure-tests GLS's B2C and deferred economics and is reshaping European last-mile cost curves.
- DHL Parcel (Deutsche Post DHL): Global parcel/logistics incumbent operating across Europe with owned ground parcel networks (DHL Parcel) and integrators (DHL Express); competes with GLS on cross-border intra-EU parcel but from a much larger scope including air, freight, and supply chain.
- UPS: Global parcel integrator with a significant European parcel presence; competes with GLS on international B2B parcel and B2C cross-border from US/Global customers, with broader express and supply-chain capabilities beyond GLS's core.
- FedEx: Global parcel integrator; competes with GLS at the international express and cross-border B2B edges while operating from much broader air/trucking and supply chain footprint.
Direct peers
- Evri (formerly Hermes UK): Major UK and European B2C-focused parcel carrier with flexible delivery and parcel shop networks - directly comparable on deferred parcel positioning, flexible recipient delivery features, and e-commerce retailer relationships.
- PostNL: Dutch-headquartered postal and parcel operator with strong Benelux B2B/B2C presence, E-commerce logistics focus, and competing parcel locker network - directly overlaps with GLS on home market and Western European B2B customers.
- Bpost: Belgian national postal operator with parcel and e-commerce logistics arm; competes directly with GLS Belgium/France/Netherlands on B2B industrial parcel and B2C cross-border, overlapping regulatory and partner-network dynamics.
- DPD Group (GeoPost): GeoPost/DPD is the closest direct competitor to GLS - a pan-European deferred parcel network owned by Le Groupe La Poste with comparable subsidiary-and-partner footprint, B2B/B2C dual model, and parcel shop/locker offerings.
Emerging players
- InPost: European parcel locker operator whose automated network (Paczkomaty in Poland, lockers across UK/France/Italy/Spain) overlaps GLS Parcel Locker/PARCEL SHOP offering and competes for last-mile pickup volume in adjacent European markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
General Logistics Systems social profiles
Digital presenceGeneral Logistics Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
General Logistics Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
General Logistics Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
General Logistics Systems subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
General Logistics Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
General Logistics Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about General Logistics Systems
What does General Logistics Systems do?
General Logistics Systems (GLS) provides deferred parcel delivery, express, fulfilment, freight/logistics, and cross-border parcel services for B2B and B2C customers across approximately 40 European countries plus eight U.S. states and Canada. Services are operated primarily through wholly owned national subsidiaries and complemented by partner networks in non-subsidiary markets, supported by recipient-controlled delivery technology and a dense network of Parcel Shops and Parcel Lockers.
Is General Logistics Systems a public or private company?
General Logistics Systems is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was General Logistics Systems founded?
General Logistics Systems was founded in 1989. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is General Logistics Systems based?
General Logistics Systems is headquartered in Oude Meer, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does General Logistics Systems make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Parcel Delivery Services are the primary driver. The others are express Services, fulfilment Services, logistics Services and cashService.
Who are General Logistics Systems's main competitors?
Swiss Post is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Amazon Logistics, DHL Parcel (Deutsche Post DHL), UPS and FedEx. Direct peers are Evri (formerly Hermes UK), PostNL, Bpost and DPD Group (GeoPost). InPost is listed as an emerging player.
Does General Logistics Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for General Logistics Systems.
What industry is General Logistics Systems in?
General Logistics Systems's product category is Parcel and Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAAACAD, Economy/Deferred Parcel (2–7 Day), with a secondary code of TLAAACAC, B2B Standard Parcel & Ground Parcel Networks. Its NAICS code is 492110 and its SIC code is 4210.