Parcel carrier Yodel is expanding its irregular dimensions and weights (IDW) service with the launch of Xpect XXL, the company has announced.
This latest move sees Yodel move further into the IDW territory in which its sister company Tuffnells specialises.
In February Yodel was acquired by YDLGP, a consortium which includes 29-year-old entrepreneur Jacob Corlett, founder of Shift, the tech-based delivery firm which bought Tuffnells in June last year.
At the time of the purchase its new owners said they planned to form a “disruptive logistics powerhouse” serving both the parcels market through the Yodel business, and larger, irregular dimensions and weights (IDW) freight through the Tuffnells brand, all underpinned by Shift’s AI-driven technology platform.
The XXL service, which joins Yodel Xpect’s existing Mini, Medium, Large and XL options, is available for parcels up to 275cm in length and weighing up to 32kg.
Parcels sent via Yodel’s Xpect XXL are delivered six days a week from 7am-9pm, with next-day or two-day delivery options.
Yodel’s Xpect service offers customers a two-hour delivery window, including full tracking capabilities with a driver map, inflight divert options, and email or push notifications available through its customer app.
This latest expansion of its delivery portfolio follows a record year for Yodel, with volumes up 3% and revenue growing 3.4%. The delivery company has also recently opened new depots in Huyton and Coventry to expand capacity in the North West and Midlands, with volumes across the country continuing to grow as online retail shows no sign of slowing.
The company said that the launch of Xpect XXL marks the next step in Yodel’s offering for irregular parcels, providing greater capabilities and flexibility for customers.
It follows the launch of the automated Merlin sortation system at its Wednesbury centre in 2018, which is specially designed for ‘out of gauge’ parcels and is capable of processing up to 2,900 items per hour.
Sam Holden, Yodel chief commercial officer, said: “As retailers continue to expand their online offerings, an ever-increasing number of larger and heavier products are being made available to consumers online.
“Our premium offering, Xpect, serves a range of needs from larger retailers to SMEs and mid-market ecommerce businesses, providing total transparency for end consumers.
“We’re excited to build on our existing service and by catering to XXL parcels we can continue to offer a comprehensive service to our clients and react to changing market conditions.”
