Coll-8: This acquisition will significantly accelerate the speed of Evri’s parcel delivery

Evri has today announced the multi-million-pound acquisition of Coll-8, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing independent customs clearance and logistics specialists, to drive accelerated deliveries and returns for customers in the Republic of Ireland.

The highly complementary acquisition will strengthen Evri’s end-to-end capabilities in the Republic of Ireland and wider European Union by integrating its market-leading parcel delivery services with Coll-8’s bespoke, digital customs clearance platform, which automates and streamlines cross-border trade.

Currently, while Evri can guarantee next-day delivery within the UK, deliveries into the Republic of Ireland can take up to five days. By leveraging Coll-8’s technology, Evri expects to reduce delivery times to two days, significantly enhancing its end-to-end service proposition with coverage across first mile, middle mile and customs clearance for international customers.

This is the latest deal underpinning Evri’s long-term growth strategy and closely follows it announcing a strategic transaction on 14 May with DHL eCommerce UK, the e-commerce logistics specialist of DHL Group. The proposed merger between Evri and DHL eCommerce UK will lead to the combined Evri business delivering over 1 billion parcels and a further 1 billion business letters annually, bringing significant benefits to consumers and businesses by offering greater choice and cost competitive solutions.

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 utilises third parties there. The integration of these networks will enhance collections and returns for customers, further improving services. With expertise in e-commerce customs clearance, Coll-8 was founded in 2021 by Dave Field and currently serves major retailers and postal providers including Boots, THG, Boohoo, An Post, Holland & Barrett, and River Island which are all also Evri clients.

This transaction is part of Evri’s long-term growth strategy to deliver more than a billion parcels a year, supported by its recent merger agreement with DHL eCommerce in the UK, and driven by its continued growth in parcel volumes from new retail clients, expansion in SMEs and online marketplaces, and international inbound and outbound opportunities.

Martijn de Lange, CEO of Evri, said: “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.”

He added: “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.”

 Coll-8 Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dave Field, said that joining forces with Evri was “tremendously exciting”.

“When we launched, 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.”