International Distributions Services

"Royal Mail Limited" and "Royal Mail plc" redirect here. For the postal service, see Royal Mail.

International Distributions Services plc (formerly Royal Mail Limited and Royal Mail plc) is a British company providing postal and courier services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.^[3]

International Distributions Services plc

Formerly	Royal Mail Limited (6–19 September 2013) Royal Mail plc (2013–2022)^[1]
Company type	Public limited company
Traded as	LSE: IDS
Industry	Postal services Courier
Founded	2013
Headquarters	London, England
Key people	Keith Williams (Non-executive Chairman) Martin Seidenberg (Group CEO)
Revenue	£12,044 million(2023)^[2]
Operating income	£(748) million (2023)^[2]
Net income	£(873) million (2023)^[2]
Number of employees	152,792 (2023)^[2]
Divisions	Royal Mail Parcelforce GLS Group
Website	internationaldistributionsservices.com

History

The company was established in September 2013, in anticipation of its initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in October 2013.^[4] In July 2022, it was announced that the holding company responsible for both Royal Mail and GLS would change its name to International Distributions Services. The name change was filed with Companies House on 28 September 2022 and registered on 3 October.^[5]

On 31 October 2022, the Secretary of State for Business, Kwasi Kwarteng, approved a proposal from a Czech billionaire, Daniel Křetínský, to increase the shareholding of Vesa Equity Investment Sarl (a company which Křetínský controls) in International Distributions Services to more than 25%.^[6]

In 2024, International Distributions Services entered into a multi-year agreement with PayPoint PLC whereby IDS customers will be able to receive parcels to 5,000 Collect+ shops in various locations across the UK, as well as accessing a range of services through PayPoint's retail partners.^[7]

In April 2024, EP Group (another company controlled by Daniel Křetínský) offered to buy the 72.5% shareholding in the company that Vesa Equity Investment Sarl does not already own.^[8]

Operations

The main business segments are: UK Parcels, International, and Letters (UKPIL), General Logistics Systems (GLS) and Group. UKPIL includes the parcel and letter delivery divisions (Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide brands) in the UK and overseas, while GLS operates a ground parcel delivery network in Europe, the western US and Canada.^[9]

References

1. "International Distributions Services PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
2. "Annual Report 2022/23" (PDF). International Distributions Services. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
3. "FTSE UK Index Series Annual Review June 2023 – Amendment". FTSE Russell. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
4. Peston, Robert (27 September 2013). "Royal Mail sold today". BBC News. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
5. "NM04 notice for Royal Mail plc". 3 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
6. "UK will not take action over Czech mogul's plan to raise Royal Mail stake". Devdiscourse. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
7. . Interactive Investors. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
8. "Royal Mail owner International Distribution Services rejects Daniel Kretinsky takeover but another bid is being explored". Sky News. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
9. . Forbes. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.