Evri has announced the multimillion-pound acquisition of independent customs clearance and logistics specialists Coll-8, helping boosts its parcel delivery and returns services for customers in the Republic of Ireland.
According to Evri, the acquisition will strengthen its end-to-end capabilities in the country and wider European Union by integrating its parcel delivery services with Coll-8’s digital customs clearance platform, which automates and streamlines cross-border trade.
End-to-end services
Martijn de Lange, CEO of Evri, confirmed, “This landmark acquisition will significantly accelerate the speed of Evri’s parcel delivery and return times for our customers in the Republic of Ireland. We look forward to collaborating with Coll-8’s talented team to elevate our end-to-end service offering across the region, as their cutting-edge customs clearance platform will give Evri a seamless gateway into European markets. This transaction will be a win-win for our customers and clients.
“This will make Evri the delivery solution of choice for both UK and Ireland and our first-ever acquisition signals our intent to build on our significant organic growth which has seen us triple in size in a short space of time.
“Our new owners, Apollo Funds, have backed our plans and are investing to meet our target to deliver more than a billion parcels a year, bolstered by our recent landmark merger agreement with DHL eCommerce UK – and cement our position as a powerhouse of the parcel delivery sector.”
PUDO network expansion
Coll-8 is a customs clearance pioneer that has more than 500 drop2shop pickup and drop-off (PUDO) locations in the Republic of Ireland, many of which are at premises managed by BWG, Ireland’s largest operator of convenience stores. These will complement Evri’s PUDO network that uses third parties in the country.
Coll-8 founder and chief executive officer Dave Field commented, “When we launched [in 2021], we wanted to offer brands and consumers a better, more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly way of getting the very best out of the massive opportunities which e-commerce represents.
“I’m convinced that, together with Evri, we can now take our respective momentum to another level entirely. We have the combined experience, technology, the infrastructure and the ambition to succeed.”
In related news, Evri has announced it is merging with DHL Group’s e-commerce logistics specialist DHL eCommerce, creating a new group with the capability to deliver over one billion parcels and a further one billion business letters annually. Click here to read the story in full