Credit: bmmagazine.co.uk
Polish delivery group InPost has acquired Yodel in a major shake-up of the UK logistics sector, converting £100 million of debt into equity to assume control of the embattled courier company.
The takeover marks the latest chapter in Yodel’s turbulent journey, following its separation from the Barclay family’s business interests and a near-collapse last year. Under the terms of the deal, InPost now owns a 95.5 per cent stake in Yodel’s parent company, Judge Logistics, with London-listed payments provider PayPoint retaining a minority 4.5 per cent holding.
InPost said the acquisition establishes it as the UK’s third-largest parcel delivery operator for online sales, trailing only Royal Mail and Evri. The group’s market share analysis excludes Amazon.
Rafał Brzoska, the billionaire founder and chief executive of InPost, described the move as transformative: “We have just fast-forwarded five years of organic expansion in the UK. This acquisition is a clear reflection of our long-term commitment to this market, where we see enormous opportunity for growth.”
He added that combining InPost’s European locker network with Yodel’s home delivery capability would enable the group to offer a fully integrated logistics model across the UK.
Founded in 2006, InPost operates a network of automated parcel lockers, courier services, and e-commerce fulfilment centres in nine European countries. The business handled over one billion parcels in 2024.
Yodel’s ownership has changed hands multiple times in recent years. Following mounting financial pressures, the Barclay family sold the group in 2023. It was later rescued from potential insolvency through a last-minute acquisition by logistics platform Shift. Soon after, CEO Mike Hancox orchestrated another deal backed by PayPoint and specialist lender Independent Growth Finance.
The InPost acquisition brings a period of uncertainty to a close, securing Yodel’s future as part of a larger international operation.
Brzoska, who describes himself online as an “entrepreneur and fighter, business angel and diver,” met UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Poland earlier this year. He later posted about the meeting, expressing appreciation for the UK’s recognition of InPost as a key Polish investor.
At the time, Brzoska announced plans to invest a further £600 million into the UK market. The company’s shares rose 4.3 per cent to €13.83 on the Euronext exchange in Amsterdam following news of the Yodel acquisition.
With this strategic consolidation, InPost is poised to challenge the dominance of long-established players in Britain’s highly competitive parcel delivery market.
