The UK’s largest parcel delivery company, Evri, has announced the multi-million-pound acquisition of Coll-8, the independent Irish customs clearance and logistics specialist. The acquisition will significantly expand Evri’s end-to-end capabilities in the Republic of Ireland and wider European Union.

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

In 2024, 96% of Irish consumers made ecommerce purchases, making it the highest indexing market for online shopping in Europe with Statista predicting Ireland’s ecommerce revenues will hit €5.4billion this year.

The acquisition will also leverage Coll-8’s network of 500+ pick-up and drop-off (PUDO) locations across the Republic, improving ease of access and customer experience while expediting returns to the UK. Retailers will also benefit from Coll-8’s automated process to reclaim any duty on returned items for taxes paid when goods are imported into 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,” Martijn de Lange, CEO of Evri, commented.

“This transaction will be a win-win for our customers and clients [and] will make Evri the delivery solution of choice for both UK and Ireland”

Martijn de Lange, CEO, Evri

Coll-8 was founded in 2021 and currently serves major retailers and postal providers including Boots, THG, Boohoo, An Post, Holland & Barrett and River Island – all of which are also Evri clients.

“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,” Dave Field, Founder and CEO of Coll-8, commented. “I’m convinced that, together with Evri, we can now take our respective momentum to another level entirely.”