Hermes Europe

In November 2020 Advent International announced it would partner with the current management team to acquire a 75% stake in Hermes UK.[2] Otto Group will continue to own 25% of the company. Advent will also acquire a 25% stake in Hermes Germany, which includes other Hermes Germany Group companies including BorderGuru and a share in the ParcelLock joint venture. The partnership will not affect Hermes’ activities in Russia and Austria, the holding company Hermes Europe or the companies not involved in parcel delivery, namely Hermes Fulfilment, Hermes Einrichtungs Service, Girard Agediss, Hansecontrol and Otto International.

In March 2022, following allegations of poor customer service and parcel mishandling, Hermes UK announced it would rebrand as Evri.[3][4]

The company was named as the second worst parcel delivery service in the United Kingdom (after Yodel) by users of moneysavingexpert.com in January 2014, with 30% of customers rating their experience as "bad".[5]

In September 2016 the government asked HM Revenue and Customs to consider launching an investigation into Hermes, after workers alleged they received pay equivalent to lower than the current minimum wage in the United Kingdom.[6] During this investigation a whistleblower claimed that Hermes coerced managers into misleading an HMRC investigation.[7]

In June 2018 an employment tribunal in Leeds found that a group of 65 couriers, supported by the GMB union through lawyers Leigh Day, were workers entitled to employment rights, including minimum wage and holiday pay, rather than self-employed as Hermes asserted. The GMB stated the ruling was likely to affect 14,500 Hermes couriers. Hermes is considering an appeal.[8][9]

During the coronavirus pandemic, Hermes said it would pay its drivers in the United Kingdom who needed to self-isolate only £20 daily, and payment would be made only to those who normally earned less than £90 daily. As a result, almost half its workers would receive nothing while payments to the rest would be capped at £280 per fortnight.[10]

In an April 2020 episode of Channel 4's consumer show Joe Lycett's Got Your Back, it was shown that Hermes was sending parcels they claimed were undeliverable to an auction house. Host Joe Lycett contested the undeliverability of the items, finding many goods auctioned off had legible names, addresses and tracking numbers.[11][12]

Still in 2023, the company is being heavily criticized. Contacting Evri is reportedly challenging, with many individuals experiencing difficulties in reaching them, particularly for issues regarding lost parcels.[13] Moreover, news reports have advised individuals expecting deliveries from Evri to lock their doors, as there have been allegations of delivery drivers entering homes without permission to drop off parcels.[14] According to many more sources, Evri drivers scam the customers by scanning the parcels as received but later taking them with themselves.[15]

In May 2023, Evri achieved a significant milestone when it was accredited by Amazon for its remarkable performance in delivering Prime parcels. According to Amazon's assessment, during a six-week trial period, Evri consistently met the stringent standards set for parcel deliveries. The trial revealed an impressive success rate of 97% for delivering parcels that were collected before 4:30 PM, guaranteeing their arrival anywhere the next day.[16]

Evri is expanding its net-zero commitment, launching a green initiative across cities. Partnering with Zoomo, they'll deploy 15 electric cargo bikes for deliveries in Wimbledon, providing a faster and greener alternative to vans. The goal Evri promised is delivering 500,000 parcels in the next 12 month using electric cargo bikes[17]