Maersk strengthens its e-commerce footprint
Being the world’s largest shipping line, Maersk is continuing to develop its activities in other areas. One of them is e-commerce logistics. Earlier, in spring, the Danish company purchased the B2B platform from Pakistan. Now, it’s a turn for the European and North American markets.
Maersk acquired two major e-commerce companies, Visible Supply Chain Management (Visible SCM) and B2C Europe Holding B.V. (B2C Europe). The new entities within the Danish shipping group allow it to offer the customers more options in terms of end-to-end logistics in Europe and North America. The transaction will be finalised by the year’s end after getting approvals from the authorities of the U.S. and the Netherlands where the two mentioned companies are based.
“This acquisition will contribute to an even better end-to-end experience by providing more key E-commerce capabilities. The new supply chain architecture allows more of our small and medium-sized customers to tap into the growth driven by the increased online consumer shopping,” said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk Ocean & Logistics.
Visible SCM
Visible SCM was established in 1992 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Currently, it covers 75 per cent of the U.S. population providing delivery within 24 hours and 95 per cent for 48-hour deliveries. The company operates nine fulfilment centres across the country. In 2020 Visible SCM delivered 200 million parcels with 99.8 order accuracy. This resulted in net revenue of 445 million U.S. dollars. For the ongoing year, the e-commerce company estimates its revenue at around 550 million U.S. dollars.
B2C Europe
Another e-commerce company acquired by Maersk is B2C Europe. It is based in the Netherlands and also has offices in France, Spain, the United Kingdom and China. Since 2000, the company has been developing parcel delivery services for both retailers and brands as well as for logistics operators, with a focus on cross-border deliveries. As for today, B2C Europe delivers more than 40 million parcels a year. Its key markets are Germany, France, Italy and the UK.