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Yodel (company)

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Yodel Delivery Network Limited
FormerlyHome Delivery Network Limited
Company typePrivate
IndustryLogistics services
FoundedMay 2008
as Home Delivery Network Ltd
HeadquartersLiverpool, England, UK
Key people
Mike Hancox (CEO, July 2019–)
Websitewww.yodel.co.uk

Yodel is a delivery service company based in Liverpool, England.[1][2] It was originally known as the Home Delivery Network (HDN,[3] full name Home Delivery Network Limited, HDNL),[4] until it acquired the business-to-business (B2B) and retail (B2C) operations of DHL Express UK and thereafter, rebranded itself as Yodel in May 2010.[5][6][7] Previously privately owned by the billionaire Frederick Barclay,[1] it was acquired by Jacob Corlett in February 2024.

History

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A Home Delivery Network lorry
A Yodel delivery van in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire

Home Delivery Network operated as the logistics division of The Very Group, until it demerged in June 2008. It was formed by the merger of Business Express and Reality, the former Littlewoods and Shop Direct delivery companies respectively.[8] Yodel has distribution hubs in Hertfordshire and the West Midlands, and over 45 delivery depots across the UK.

In December 2011, the London Evening Standard carried a story on reports of packages from Yodel being lost or not delivered on time for Christmas. Yodel said that there had been a great increase in December deliveries over the previous two years and that Yodel had delivered over twenty million packages that month, with 999 out of 1000 being delivered on time.[9]

In March 2012, the BBC's Watchdog consumer programme broadcast a segment highly critical of Yodel.[10] In January 2014, Yodel was voted as the worst delivery service in the United Kingdom for the second consecutive year.[11] BBC Watchdog says that it continued to regularly receive reports of bad service after the re branding to Yodel.[12]

In January 2014, Yodel was named the "worst parcel delivery firm" in a poll by MoneySavingExpert.com, of 9,000 people, with 78% of customers rating their experience negatively. Despite this, Yodel continues to be the delivery company of choice for many major retailers in the United Kingdom, largely due to the company's low prices.[13]

The company apologised in November 2015, after one of the firm's couriers had left a parcel on the roof of a customer's home.[14] In February 2016, Yodel was featured in a Dispatches investigation, which aired on Channel 4. The investigation was entitled Where's My Missing Mail?. The programme sent an undercover reporter to work at Yodel’s Shaw depot as a sorter. The investigation highlighted how parcels had been thrown onto conveyor belts and even thrown between staff members.[15][16]

In June 2023, in order to reduce the environmental impact of its delivery operations, Yodel invested £14.5m on its fleet, consisting of 45 new DAF XF 450 tractor units and 120 new solar powered double-decker trailers.[17]

In February 2024, Yodel was saved from collapse by being taken over by YDLGP, a new company supported by Solano Partners and rival logistics firm Shift. The consortium had been talking to Yodel since mid 2023.[18]

In May 2024, Yodel announced the proposal to close the Shaw national distribution hub.[19] Following a consultation period, the site officially closed in July 2024.

Collect+

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Main article: Collect+

In February 2011, Collect+ a parcel sending and collection service, was launched as a joint venture between PayPoint and Yodel.[20] This service is available through almost 6,000 of the PayPoint retail network in the UK and allows customers to collect and send packages at their local convenience store.[21] In April 2020, PayPoint announced an agreement with Yodel to take full ownership of 'Collect+.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b Ratcliffe, Verity (16 March 2015). "Yodel blamed for late Mother's Day flowers". BBC. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Yodel and Hermes named UK's worst parcel delivery firms". 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Home Delivery Network Ltd - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com.
  4. ^ "Home Delivery Network Limited – The Interview | Warehouse & Logistics News". 28 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Home Delivery Network Limited Renamed As Yodel Delivery Network Limited". Yodel. 8 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  6. ^ James Hall (5 January 2010). "Home Delivery Network buys DHL's UK parcel operation". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  7. ^ Russell Parsons (27 May 2010). "Home Delivery Network rebrands as Yodel". Marketing Week. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  8. ^ "HDNL Internet - Home". Home Delivery Network. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 12 September 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  9. ^ Ross Lydall (23 December 2011). "Pippa Middleton's party presents hit by delivery chaos". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  10. ^ Elham Rizi (22 March 2012). "Yodel: New name, but delivering the same old problems?". Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  11. ^ Miles Brignall (10 January 2014). "Yodel voted worst parcel delivery service for second year running". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  12. ^ "BBC One - Watchdog - Yodel: New name, but delivering the same old problems?". BBC. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  13. ^ "Yodel and Hermes named UK's worst parcel delivery firms". Moneywise.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Delivery firm apologises after courier throws parcel on roof when no answer at door". ITV News. 23 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  15. ^ Roberts, Edward (1 February 2016). "What really goes on behind the scenes at delivery firm Yodel". mirror. Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Parcel mishandling filmed By Channel 4's Dispatches (includes video)". channel4.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  17. ^ McLoughlin, James (20 June 2023). "Yodel invests nearly £15 million in HGV fleet". Logistics Manager. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Yodel saved from collapse by fast-growing rival". BBC News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  19. ^ "An Update On Our Shaw Sortation and Transport Site". Yodel.co.uk. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Paypoint". Retail Times. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  21. ^ "Business Courier - Marketplace, SME & Large - CollectPlus". Collect Plus. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  22. ^ "PayPoint". www.corporate.paypoint.com. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
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