The postal symbol of Denmark disappears: red mailboxes sold in 3 hours.

According to ТСН: Traditional red mailboxes and postmen who deliver letters every day are gradually becoming a thing of the past. The company PostNord, created from the merger of the postal services of Sweden and Denmark, is radically changing its approach to work due to the 'rapid digitalization of society.'

Why this happened

The Danish postal service has been delivering mail since 1624. However, over the last 25 years, the volume of paper letters in the country has decreased by more than 90%.

The main reason is that Denmark is one of the most modern digital countries in the world.

• 97% of the population uses the MitID system (analogous to Ukraine's 'Diia').

• All official messages from the state are automatically sent to the 'digital mailbox.'

• Only 5% of citizens choose paper notifications from the government.

In this context, PostNord plans to cut 1500 jobs and focus solely on parcel delivery, the demand for which is increasing due to online commerce.

Excitement over mailboxes

The symbol of change became the dismantling of 1500 already traditional red mailboxes. The company put them up for sale, and the results exceeded all expectations: 1000 mailboxes were sold in just three hours.

The price for the 'souvenir' was around 235 British pounds for mailboxes in good condition. Another 200 mailboxes are planned to be sold at auction in January.

How to send a letter now

Although PostNord no longer provides this service, it will still be possible to send a paper letter since the law requires it.

From January 1, the responsibilities will transfer to a private company Dao, but the process will change:

• Street mailboxes will no longer exist.

• Letters will need to be taken to a Dao partner store or a courier can be called to the home for an additional fee.

• Payment for stamps will be made online or through an app.

An unexpected trend among the youth

Interestingly, despite the overall decline, interest in paper letters is growing among Generation Z.

According to Dao, young people aged 18–34 send 2–3 times more letters than representatives of other age groups. Experts explain this as 'digital saturation': youth seek an emotional counterbalance to messengers, turning letter writing into a conscious, 'vintage' ritual.

It's also worth noting that 'Ukrposhta' is launching a new rate for sending packages and documents within one department, which promises to become the most profitable on the market — only 30 hryvnias for 7 days of storage. The company is also offering users the chance to choose a name for the new rate.