InPost has finally closed its takeover of troubled parcel firm Yodel, making it the third-largest courier in the UK in a deal worth £106 million.
The acquisition, which appeared to stall for several weeks after it was expected to complete in early April, sees the Polish parcel locker giant converting its existing loans to Yodel’s parent company into a 95.5% equity stake.
The £106 Million Deal That Changes Everything
The takeover represents a significant consolidation in the UK’s delivery sector, with InPost acquiring 95.5% of Yodel’s parent company Judge Logistics Ltd through a debt-to-equity conversion.
PayPoint retains the remaining 4.5% stake, continuing their existing partnership in the out-of-home delivery space.
InPost had been funding Yodel’s operations for months, pumping in £106 million in convertible loan notes that have now been transformed into ownership.
This financial rescue package ends months of uncertainty for the Liverpool-based courier, which has reportedly been hemorrhaging around £1 million every week.
From Parcel Lockers to Doorstep Deliveries
This strategic move catapults InPost into direct competition with delivery giants Royal Mail and Evri, securing approximately 8% of the UK parcel market with capacity to handle over 300 million parcels annually.
What makes this acquisition particularly interesting is how it combines two fundamentally different business models.
InPost built its reputation on automated parcel lockers – a network that now spans more than 10,000 machines across the UK – while Yodel focuses on traditional doorstep deliveries.
The merged operation creates a unique hybrid service offering both out-of-home collection points and direct-to-door deliveries under a single brand.
According to InPost, this will immediately expand their merchant base to more than 700 e-commerce retailers.
Will the Yodel Brand Survive?
It remains unclear whether the Yodel brand – which has consistently ranked at the bottom of customer satisfaction surveys alongside Evri – will continue or be phased out in favor of InPost’s more positively received branding.
Given Yodel’s troubled reputation with consumers, a complete rebrand might make sense. The company received just 2 out of 5 stars for overall service in recent rankings, with Citizens Advice reporting that 43% of customers experienced issues with the company.
InPost, meanwhile, has been on a growth tear, doubling its UK deliveries to 93 million in 2024 and positioning itself as a modern alternative to traditional courier services.
A European Giant Emerges to Become Third-Largest Courier in the UK
This acquisition is the second major UK takeover for InPost in less than a year, following its purchase of Menzies Distribution in October 2024.
The combined operations will now account for approximately 30% of InPost Group’s total revenue.
Rafał Brzoska, Founder and CEO of InPost Group, described the acquisition as “a pivotal milestone” that has “fast-forwarded 5 years of organic expansion in the UK.”
Neil Kuschel, InPost UK’s CEO, was equally enthusiastic, calling it “a game-changer” that will “reshape the future of parcel delivery” by combining “doorstep deliveries with our unrivalled locker network.”
The GMB union, which represents many Yodel workers, welcomed the takeover.
National lead organiser Gill Ogilvie said: “Yodel has endured a tumultuous 12 months. GMB welcomes today’s news which will secure workers’ future for the long term.”
For consumers, particularly those who’ve experienced Yodel’s notorious delivery issues, the hope will be that InPost’s management can drive substantial improvements in service quality – or at least provide a more reliable alternative through their expanding locker network.
With the bar being set so low by the likes of Evri, the hope is that they can.
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