Postal company PostNL booked a slight increase in sales in the third quarter of this year following an 8% increase in parcel post.

Sales reached €998m, while net profit fell from €218m to €12m. Last year’s profit figure includes the proceeds from the sale of TNT Express. Excluding this, net profit rose from €2m to €8m over the year

The improved performance is due to cost efficiency, more expensive stamps and lower costs for pensions and reorganisation, PostNL said. While the number of letters and cards fell by 11%, parcel post is up due to the shift towards online shopping.

The cost of stamps will rise again next year.