The number of courier companies in the UK has grown significantly in recent years, driven by the rise of e-commerce and the increasing demand for delivery services. These companies vary widely in purpose, scale, and specialization. Some focus on worldwide express deliveries, others cater to local courier services, while some specialize in transporting large or heavy packages. With technology advancing and lifestyles evolving, delivery companies have become an integral part of everyday life. Independent organizations regularly evaluate these companies, often using surveys to assess their popularity, performance, and customer satisfaction.
According to reports from 2024, Royal Mail remains the most popular courier company in the UK, holding a market share of approximately 25%. It is followed by Amazon Logistics, which has rapidly grown to claim 17% of the market. Evri (formerly Hermes) ranks third with a 14% share, and DPD Group follows closely with 12%. Other major players include DHL, Yodel, and Parcelforce Worldwide, which collectively hold smaller portions of the market.
Interestingly, while Royal Mail leads in overall usage, preferences vary among consumers and businesses. Royal Mail’s strong presence is attributed to its extensive nationwide network, but companies like Amazon Logistics and DPD are favored for their technological innovations and efficiency in e-commerce deliveries. Meanwhile, Evri is valued for its affordability, despite some mixed reviews regarding service quality.
These rankings highlight the diversity of the UK’s courier market, which continues to adapt to the evolving needs of individuals and businesses alike.
Choosing the most accurate and reliable shipping company for electronic commerce:
The answer to this question is multifaceted. versatility can be examined as follows; sellers and consumers. Cost and fast shipping are important for sellers. Its goal is to be fast and cheap, but it is more important for customers or consumers to be fast and reliable. On the other hand, the seller should act according to the wishes of the customer and make his choice under the criteria he has determined. Unfortunately, it is not possible to talk about a single criterion, each e-commerce company has its criteria. These criteria are for delivery. However, it may be possible to list the points that need attention, such as;
- The customer base of the e-commerce company.
- Points that online shoppers pay attention to.
- Products sold via e-commerce
- Weekly and monthly package delivery amount.
- What are the criteria of the company, is it time, economy, or reliability?
- Where the company sells (in the UK or abroad)
The leading cargo companies in the UK are;
- Royal Mail
- Hermes-Evri
- DPD UK
- Yodel
- DHL UK
- FEDEX
- Parcelforce
- Ups
- Tuffnells
- DX Group
- PostNL
- Whistl
- CollectPlus
- Fastway Couriers
PRİCE LİST
| Courier Company | Service | Delivery Time | Weight Limit | Price (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evri | Next Day Delivery | Next Day | Up to 2kg | From £5.10 |
| Royal Mail | Tracked 24 | Next Day | Up to 2kg | From £4.19 |
| DPD UK | Next Working Day Delivery | Next Working Day | Up to 2kg | From £5.99 |
| ParcelForce | Express 24 | Next Day | Up to 2kg | From £9.20 |
| FedEx UK | International Priority | 1–3 Days | Up to 2kg | From £35 |
| DHL UK | Express Worldwide | 1–3 Days | Up to 2kg | From £35 |
| Yodel | Next Working Day Delivery | Next Working Day | Up to 2kg | From £3.26 |
| UK Mail | Standard Delivery | 1–3 Days | Flexible | From £4.50 |
| Tuffnells | Standard Parcels | 1–3 Days | Flexible | From £5.99 |
| DX Group | DX24 Delivery | Next Day | Flexible | From £8.70 |
| Addison Lee | Same-Day Delivery | Same Day | Flexible | From £15 |
| Whistl | Standard Tracked | 2–4 Days | Flexible | From £3.50 |
| CollectPlus | Next Day Delivery | Next Day | Up to 2kg | From £4.99 |
| Fastway Couriers | Local Delivery | 1–2 Days | Flexible | From £3.50 |
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Top delivery companies in the UK
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is a big delivery company. Founded in 1516, the English company continued its business life for 499 years under the ownership of the United Kingdom government. Royal Mail is an old company and employs a large number of people so it is not just a shipping company but an important company for the UK. This company is in the top 10 postal companies. From a financial standpoint, the company reported earnings of £10.4M in 2019. Judging by research, surveys, and statistics, Royal Mail is the most well-known transport company. The company, which is widespread in the United Kingdom, is important among exporters.
Market share
%37
Main features of Royal Mail delivery company
- Fast delivery is guaranteed between 09:00-and 13:00.
- 23,000 collection points
HERMES- EVRI
Headquartered in Hamburg, Hermes is a German-based company that started its delivery life in 1972. The company employs approximately 15,000 people. Hermes, which is among the most well-known cargo companies in England, also has a strong financial structure. The company reported revenue of approximately $3.7 million in 2019. When the statistics and data are examined, it is revealed that Hermes company ranks first in package delivery service. One of the company’s most important goals is to deliver emission-free by 2025. They want to achieve these goals with 1500 electric vehicles under their control.
Market share
%49
Main features of Hermes delivery company
- There is a next-day delivery system.
- There are more than 40,000 delivery points in Europe and more than 4,500 in the UK.
- The company serves 20 countries.
- There are country-specific delivery options.
Parcelforce
Parcelforce is the commercial name of the Royal Mail company. It started its commercial life in 1992. The company employs 4500 people. Parcelforce, which is among the UK delivery companies, is a well-known company in its own country.
Market share
%6
Main features of Parcelforce delivery company
- There are domestic and international fast delivery options.
- It generally concentrates on deliveries based in Europe.
DPD
The French-based company was founded in 1999, the parcel delivery company is focused on Europe. The company employs 77000 people. The company is financially strong, with a turnover of 8.9 million dollars according to the latest data. DPD is in the top three among the most popular deliverers in the UK. The top 100 e-commerce companies in the UK include DPD among their delivery options.
Market share
%26
Main features of the DPD delivery company
- The company offers the option of next-day delivery.
- The company has purchased carbon credits and has an important place in Europe in this regard.
- There are more than 22000 collection points overall, up from 2500 in the UK.
- It is one of the important companies that deliver packages throughout Europe.
DHL
It is a company based in Germany. It was founded in 1969 and has invested extra in e-commerce solutions. The company reported that it earned 4.05 million euros from these investments. It employs 520000 people. It is one of the leading package delivery companies. It is widely used by companies selling in the UK.
Market share
%7
Main features of the DHL delivery company
- There is a next-day delivery option and the company attaches great importance to this.
- The company aims to switch to completely emission-free delivery by 2050.
- DHL attaches great importance to international delivery. It is common in over 200 countries, including North Korea.
Yodel
The company, owned by the British Barclay brothers, was founded in 2008. The company made a breakthrough in 2010 by acquiring DHL express UK’s B2C operations. Yodel cargo company employs 4500 people and is financially strong. Its revenue is about 500 million dollars. Ranking sixth in popularity in the UK, the company is among the top 10 delivery companies in its country.
Market share
%8
Main features of Yodel delivery company
- Next day delivery system is available.
- It is active in the UK and Europe.
UPS
It is a US-based shipping company headquartered in Atalanta. It was founded in 1907 and employs 500,000 people. According to reports and data, they made $13 billion in earnings last year. It is the seventh most popular parcel courier company in the UK.
Market share
%3
Main features of UPS delivery company
- Next-day shipping is available with UPS-specific systems such as UPS Worldwide Express Plus and UPS Worldwide Express Shipping.
- UPS company has partnered with Greenbiz company by taking environmentally friendly steps and seeking sustainable systems.
- The central focus is in the USA, but also in the European market.
Finally;
Choosing the right shipping company for companies engaged in e-commerce is important not only in terms of money but also in terms of customer satisfaction. Large companies, small entrepreneurs, and tradesmen can increase satisfaction with the small research they will do. The criteria, capacities, focus areas, and functionality of cargo companies may differ, as well as those dealing with e-commerce may vary according to their choices. The reliability of the shipping system, which is the basis of e-commerce, is extremely important for companies. Therefore, companies must make the right decisions in terms of their capacity.
