Danish shipping firm Maersk has completed the US$86m acquisition of B2C Europe, enabling it to offer last-mile rates to customers in Europe, North America and China through one simplified interface.
Maersk announced its intention to acquire B2C Europe on August 6, 2021. Based in the Netherlands, B2C Europe is a 20-year-old European logistics company focused on cross-border business-to-consumer (B2C) parcel delivery services in Europe. B2C Europe will bring an asset-light delivery product that uses technical integrations to collect parcels at its customers’ warehouses and inject them into the European carrier networks.
The company’s offering consists of labeling services, pick-ups, sorting parcels, linehaul and injection into the last-mile delivery network of more than 100 connected carriers across Europe, including full returns logistics mainly covering 35 European countries. B2C Europe is operationally present in four key European e-commerce countries (Netherlands, France, UK and Spain) and has offices in China.
In 2021, Maersk has expanded its e-commerce footprint with the acquisition of the US-based logistics company Visible SCM and the Portuguese cloud-based logistics startup, Huub.
Vincent Clerc, executive vice president and CEO of ocean and logistics at A.P. Moller – Maersk, said, “Our logistics product line-up growth continues to support our long-term plans to help customers sell through any sales channel, deliver in any way and manage their supply chains seamlessly. This year, by adding Visible SCM, Huub and now B2C Europe’s capabilities, we set out the foundation to upscale our platform and e-commerce skills globally, building product returns cycles and defining B2C supply chain success.”
José Vega Vázquez, CEO at B2C Europe, said, “We very much look forward to the journey ahead. We put expertise and skills on the table that will enable Maersk’s customers to take full control and drive flexibility into their B2C supply chains.”