Struggling Yodel taken over by rival parcel company InPost

A Polish parcel company has purchased Yodel after the delivery group struggled in the months after its separation fromthe Barclay family’s corporate empire.

InPost has purchased Yodel by converting debt it held against the group into equity to create one of the largest logistics operators in the UK.

Yodel’s ownership changed over the past 12 months since it was sold by the cash-strapped Barclay family after they faced creditor pressure to repay mounting debts.

The parcel group was spared insolvency in a last-minute deal with Shift, a rival operator, but within months it was taken over for a second time by Mike Hancox, Yodel’s chief executive, with financial backing from PayPoint, a London-listed payments group, and Independent Growth Finance, a specialist lender.

InPost has now acquired 95.5 per cent of Yodel’s parent company Judge Logistics, by converting around £100 million of debt it had previously issued to the company into equity, with PayPoint retaining a minority stake of 4.5 per cent.

InPost said the deal would see the group become the third-largest logistics operatorin online sales in the UK, with a market share of around 8 per cent, after Royal Mail and Evri. Its market share analysis excluded Amazon.

Rafał Brzoska,the billionaire founder and chief executive of InPost, said the deal was pivotal for the business, allowing the company to combine its network of parcel delivery lockers with Yodel’s home delivery services.

He said: “We have just fast-forwarded 5 years of organic expansion in the UK, and it is a clear reflection of our long-term commitment to this market, a market where we see enormous opportunity for growth.

“Our logistics model has transformed delivery in other European markets, and with this acquisition, we are now well positioned to do the same here.”

Brzoska founded InPost in 2006and has built the group into a network of lockers and drop-off points across 9 countries in Europe. The group also operates courier and fulfilment services to online retailers, which transported more than a billion parcels in 2024.

He describes himself on his Instagram profile as an “entrepreneur and fighter, business angel and diver”. Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, met the entrepreneur on a visit to Poland in January.

Brzoska posted a picture of his meeting with Starmer on Instagram, with the caption: “I deeply appreciate the opportunity to discuss our shared goals and the recognition of InPost’s contributions as a key Polish investor in the UK.”

He said at the time that InPost planned to invest an additional £600 million in the UK to expand.

InPost’s shares rose 4.3 per cent to €13.83 on the Euronext exchange in Amsterdam.