The Belgian national postal operator Bpost has announced it will be moving further into offering ecommerce support and services to businesses with an acquisition.
They’re shelling out a reported $820 million for Radial. That’s a company that launched in 2016 as a spin-off of the former eBay Enterprise operation. Radial offers multichannel services that help connect retailer’s online and offline sales and also streamline fulfillment activities, payments and fraud prevention, customer service and order management.
Bpost expect that Radial will help it expand the ecommerce services they offer and enable more cross-border services for sellers in Europe and North America. It’s expected that the merger deal will be finalised in the fourth quarter of 2017.
In a statement Bpost said of the deal: “In light of ecommerce growth, the development of parcel logistics is one of the most promising areas in a new digital world. Bpost continues to deliver on innovation in this sector with the acquisition of Radial. Bpost seeks to capture the fast-growing ecommerce logistics supply chain by enabling a strong cross-border value proposition for its customers.”
Matthew Espe, CEO of Radial, says: “Radial represents the gold standard for profitable ecommerce and omnichannel technology arming merchants with the capabilities needed to operate at a global scale. There has never been a more important time when it comes to helping brands grow their online business profitably, especially when reaching their customer base internationally. Joining the bpost family is a critical next step for both companies as we strive to help meet customer expectations on the backbone of industry- leading technology and services.”
It’s interesting to see a national postal service investing in ecommerce to find growth and customer loyalty. As letter volumes diminish, it’s parcels that represent growth, and ecommerce is a key battleground there. Belgium may be a small market but it does at least seem to be home to adventurous and innovative thinking.
