DODO in 2022? Record turnover, new brand, billion-crown investment, and preparation for further growth
Few years have been as turbulent as 2022. After a seemingly endless period of pandemic came war and its associated costs, which had a noticeable impact on the decline in demand in e-commerce and, of course, in the field of last-mile logistics. Despite this, last year marked several records and significant milestones, and it is not only because of these that we are entering 2023 with a good launch position. Last year, we operated in seven European markets across thirteen market segments. At the same time, we generated a record turnover of CZK 1.3 billion.
New visual identity, major investment, and preparation for expansion
The past year at DODO was marked by major changes. We have undergone a complete rebranding, completely abandoning the original idea of the courier as a personal assistant, and devoting ourselves fully to the B2B segment of the market. We are growing not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad. In terms of the ratio of domestic to international business, 60% of the 5.8 million orders we handled last year were processed in the Czech Republic. We currently employ more than 2,300 couriers and 230 office workers.
“During the past year, we have focused on setting up mechanisms for systematic expansion into major Western markets, and we intend to make the most of this preparation in 2023. We continue to work on developing our own logistics platform, which is key to our operations and expansion, as well as focusing on our franchise model to expand as efficiently as possible. We have strong references, investor support, and capital to build local sales and operations teams. I believe that we will make significant progress on the expansion front over the next 12 months, focusing primarily on our key markets in Germany,” says DODO Group CEO Michal Menšík.
Another major milestone in 2022 is the May acquisition of a €60 million funding from Daniel Křetínský and Patrik Tkáč, which has shot DODO into the billion-dollar market. We currently operate in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Hungary. The Hungarian expansion in particular can be considered very successful. Compared to last year, the number of orders there has increased by 150%. We are always trying to find new, often creative, ways of delivery. In the summer months, we tested the delivery of parcels to yachters on Lake Balaton using electric jet skis, and recently we also tested drone delivery in Budapest in cooperation with the Rossmann drugstore chain.
Pressure for sustainability and continuous development of our own logistics platform
Last year, all couriers drove a total of over 41 million kilometers. At DODO, we respect our planet and therefore strive to put as much pressure as possible on sustainability in last-mile logistics. To successfully accomplish this task, we use our own GAIA platform. This can be managed by using real-time data from city traffic, enabling it to plan the optimal route for each of our couriers so that they don’t drive with a half-empty car unnecessarily.
Just like last year, this year we are participating in the Save the Food campaign with our customer Košík.cz, which aims to reduce food waste as much as possible by distributing products that are close to their expiration date.
Further growth of e-commerce is inevitable, DODO will be ready
“DODO has grown from a start-up into one of the champions of its field. We want to be one of the top three players in last-mile delivery in Europe in the long term, continuing to build a healthy and resilient business while setting new market standards in delivery across all segments – whether it’s same-day delivery or a precise time slot according to customer preference. I believe that we are on a good track and that we are ready for further long-term growth, which e-commerce is undoubtedly facing, despite the current situation,” Menšík summarizes plans for the coming year.
In addition to growth, new recruits, or the transition to group management, which was supported this year by, among others, new CEO for the Czech and Slovak markets Ivo Velíšek, the company can also be proud of winning the Franchisee of the Year competition or being ranked again in the Deloitte Fast50 list of the fastest growing technology companies in the region.
