Newsletter 42

It’s business as usual, we understand, for the main divisions of Business Direct following the acquisition of large parts of the company by DX; and plans for expansion of its box-bank network into the business-to-consumer market will go ahead.

Business Direct specialises in in-night parts deliveries, and has its own network of 4,000 ParcelXchange intelligent box banks. DX, a flourishing specialist in the independent mail sector, has acquired the in-night network and ParcelXchange box banks, along with the licensing division that sells the technology to third-party carriers abroad. Paul Carvell, the chief executive of Business Direct, has stayed on.

As a former Hays group subsidiary, Hays DX was heavily involved in the parts delivery business, but disposed of these operations to Business Direct’s rival ByBox earlier in the decade when Hays was being prepared for sale. ByBox of course has its own similar box-bank system, so now DX and ByBox are rivals again.

Whilst focusing on the B2B market, Business Direct has at several times recently voiced the intention of expanding into B2C unattended deliveries, and has had trial B2C operations under way. It is these that DX says it will develop, while at the same time gradually integrating some of its B2B operations with existing DX activities.