London, Delivered Direct: The Future of Courier Services

In January 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave unconditional approval for DHL eCommerce UK and Evri to merge [1]. It was a defining moment for the courier sector: a sign that scale, efficiency, and consolidation are shaping the industry’s next chapter.

For the UK, and London particularly, this matters. The courier market is the invisible infrastructure of modern life, powering e-commerce, keeping businesses operational, and ensuring that everything from legal contracts to life sciences samples arrives on time.

In fact, the UK courier industry handled an estimated 4.2 billion parcels in 2024, including 1.29 billion during the “peak” season alone (October–December); making it the busiest parcel market in Europe [5]. Demand is extraordinary, and it’s only set to grow.

The global courier and delivery market is forecast to reach $648 billion by 2030, with the UK market rising to £25 billion [4]. It is clear the industry is expanding; but so too are the pressures on networks, cities, and customers.

AT A CROSSROADS

London is one of the toughest cities in the world to deliver in. Ranked as the most congested city globally, drivers lose an average of 156 hours a year in traffic [2]. Add in emissions targets, rising fuel costs, and heightened customer expectations, and the delivery model that worked a decade ago is showing its age.

Several forces are converging:

• Consolidation: As seen with DHL–Evri, the sector is moving towards larger, more centralised networks.

• Sustainability pressure: Courier fleets face the same demands as passenger transport; to electrify, decarbonise, and adapt to clean air regulations.

• Customer impatience: In an era of same-day and one-hour promises, “out for delivery” is no longer good enough. Clients want certainty and visibility.

• Technology’s rise: AI-powered routing, predictive logistics, and automation will define the next decade of last-mile services.

The challenge is balancing scale with service. Big networks can move millions of parcels, but they often struggle with precision — and in business, precision matters.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CUSTOMERS

For London businesses, the courier choice is no longer just about price. The stakes are higher:

• A missed deadline can cost a legal firm a case.

• A delayed shipment can derail a film production.

• A lost sample can set back a medical trial.

When time, reputation, and money are on the line, businesses need more than a pooled, multi-drop model. They need trust, speed, and accountability.

THE ROAD AHEAD FOR COURIERS

Looking forward, several shifts will shape the courier sector:

• Smarter cities, smarter couriers: AI traffic management and data-led routing will reduce inefficiencies.

• Electrification at scale: With the UK’s 2030 petrol and diesel ban approaching, fleets must pivot to electric and hybrid vehicles. 

• Regulation tightening: Clean air zones, congestion charging, and net-zero mandates will only increase.

• Premiumisation of delivery: Businesses will increasingly pay for certainty, transparency, and quality; moving couriers closer to a professional service model than a commodity one.

In other words, the last mile is no longer just logistics; it is strategy.

ADDISON LEE’S PERSPECTIVE

At Addison Lee, we have seen first-hand how London’s businesses are rethinking their delivery needs. Scale matters, but so does service. That is why we have re-launched our new Direct Courier:

• No stops, no detours; just a straight line from A to B.

• Real-time tracking for total visibility.

• Professional, vetted drivers trusted by London’s business community for over 50 years.

While the industry consolidates around volume, Addison Lee is investing in precision, reliability, and trust. For urgent, business-critical deliveries, Direct Courier is London’s premium alternative.

Because in a city as demanding as London, “nearly there” is never good enough.

Written by Hayley Smith-Pryor (Strategy Partner, Experience)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and cited contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the official views, positions or policies of Addison Lee. Any external contributors (for example, academic experts) are referenced in a personal or professional capacity, and their perspectives should not be interpreted as endorsements by Addison Lee. Addison Lee does not accept responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed in this blog.

Sources

1. DHL Group – DHL eCommerce UK and Evri secure unconditional CMA approval (Jan 2025):
   https://group.dhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2025/dhl-ecommerce-uk-and-evri-secure-unconditional-cma-approval.html
2. INRIX – Global Traffic Scorecard 2023:
   https://inrix.com/scorecard/
3. Ofcom – Annual Monitoring Update on the Postal Market 2022–23:
   https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/telecoms-research/postal-services
4. London Loves Business – Global delivery and courier market set to reach $648bn and the UK market £25bn by 2030 (Jan 2025):
   https://londonlovesbusiness.com/global-delivery-and-courier-market-set-to-reach-648bn-and-the-uk-market-25bn-by-2030/
5. FedEx Newsroom – UK parcel deliveries to hit 1.29bn this festive season, making the UK parcel market the busiest in Europe (Nov 2024):
   https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/europe-english/uk-parcel-deliveries-to-hit-1-29-bn-this-festive-season-making-the-uk-parcel-market-the-busiest-in-europe
6. Courier Parcel Collection & Delivery | Addison Lee