With the deal, Bpost wants to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing European parcel market.
Bpost has signed an agreement with a view to the takeover of the French logistics group Staci. Bpost will acquire 100 percent of Staci's shares for an enterprise value of 1.3 billion euros, including debt.
With the deal, Bpost strengthens its position in parcel logistics in Europe. It is the largest acquisition in the history of the postal service.
It was already announced in mid-2023 that Bpost had its eye on Staci. Then it turned out that it was the only remaining candidate from a bidding process. The French owners - with the investment fund Ardian as the majority shareholder - had already put Staci up for sale at the beginning of 2023. However, there appeared to be a number of problematic files, which caused the takeover to be put on hold.
Staci claims to process 75 million orders per year for 2,200 companies and 250,000 end customers. With the planned acquisition, Bpost accelerates its B2B offering and makes room for synergies. Staci Group's annual turnover is 771 million euros (2023).
It is also interesting for Bpost that the French parcel company is making strong progress in the US. It acquired the American Amware in 2023, adding many warehouses in the US.
The American parcel market is very important for Bpost itself. It has had a foothold since 2017 with the American subsidiary Radial. Bpost's North American activities are worth 1.4 billion euros. This amounts to a third of Bpost's total turnover. The Belgian parcel company closed 2023 with a turnover of 4.27 billion euros.