CitySprint expands with sameday acquisition in South of England

Acquisition-hungry UK sameday courier company CitySprint has snapped up another addition to its network, buying the operations of Berkshire-based Scarlet Couriers. The deal includes acquisition of Scarlet’s sameday, UK overnight and international operations in Bracknell and Slough, west of London, with the transfer effective as of 1st July.

Following the acquisition, Scarlet Couriers will continue to run its own pallet, haulage and warehousing operations, as part of the APC Overnight network, from its four offices in Slough, High Wycombe, Reading and Uxbridge.

About 10 Scarlet staff, who support the sameday business, will be transferring to CitySprint, along with more than 25 vehicles and the two service centres in Bracknell and Slough.

A spokesperson for CitySprint told Post&Parcel it will be using a fleet of 50 vehicles to support the Bracknell and Slough operations after the takeover.

Privately-owned CitySprint has acquired a string of courier businesses in recent years, including five last year. The company now has a network of 35 service centres and 2,000 couriers.

The company provides about 3m deliveries a year.

“Milestone”

Commenting on the Scarlet acquisition, CitySprint chief executive Patrick Gallagher said the new acquisition shared the same cultural values and customer service commitment as CitySprint.

Gallagher said: “This deal is another significant milestone in CitySprint’s ongoing growth strategy. CitySprint’s extensive national reach is key to our success, so we’re delighted to be consolidating our presence in Berkshire.”

Scarlet Couriers sameday and overnight customers are being told their services will be run by the same staff from the same office, though now under the CitySprint mantle.

Joining CitySprint will mean access to online booking capabilities, real-time tracking, proof of delivery and automated status notifications.

Jon Barber, the managing director at Scarlet Couriers, said: “CitySprint shares our commitment to customer service, so we’ll be working together to ensure that the integration is a seamless process. For the time being, it is ‘business as usual’ for our customers, with the same terms and same couriers in place.”