Evri Group has unveiled a £36 million investment plan to strengthen its parcel network in preparation for the upcoming Black Friday surge.
The move comes as the company finalises its merger with DHL eCommerce UK, which is expected to close soon after regulators cleared the deal at the start of the month.
The German multinational company DHL Group will take a minority stake in private equity-backed Evri, with the merged business set to deliver 1 billion parcels and 1bn business letters annually.
Leeds-based Evri was acquired by US investment group Apollo last year from Advent International for £2.7bn.
As part of the programme, the firm is expanding its Barnsley hub with a £4m small-item sorter, designed to boost efficiency in handling smaller parcels.
A £25m project is also underway to add a third tier within the existing hub.
Once complete, the site will be capable of processing 5.5m parcels per day by Christmas 2026.
“Following a historic year for Evri, with our acquisition of Coll-8 in Ireland and our landmark merger with DHL, which is due to complete imminently, we continue to invest significantly in our operation to ensure we deliver the best possible service to our clients and customers, especially at the busiest time of the year for our industry,” said Martijn de Lange, chief executive at Evri Group.
“We’re on track to become the UK’s premier parcel delivery business and this investment supports our continued growth as we will deliver more than a billion parcels and a billion letters a year globally.”
The logistics group has also carried out depot relocations in Avonmouth and Lutterworth, alongside upgrades in Pen-Y-Bont, Southampton and Bury St Edmunds to enhance capacity.
A new depot in Belfast has been announced, which is set to act as a gateway to Europe while speeding up cross-border deliveries between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These combined developments represent around £7.5m in investment.
To handle the seasonal rush, Evri anticipates employing over 30,000 couriers this Christmas, alongside 70 additional operational roles to help manage demand.
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