As the holiday season reaches its peak, the UK parcel delivery giant Evri finds itself at the center of mounting criticism and scrutiny, with customers and politicians alike voicing frustration over missing, delayed, or mishandled parcels. The complaints come at a time when parcel volumes are soaring, driven by the Christmas rush and a surge in online shopping, putting Evri’s expanded operations and ambitious growth plans to the test.
Evri, formerly part of the Hermes parcel group and now owned by US private equity firm Apollo, has rapidly grown its footprint in the UK logistics sector. In September 2025, the company unveiled a new £1.3 million depot in Mallusk, County Antrim, aiming to bolster its service in Northern Ireland. Since then, Evri claims to have delivered four million parcels from the site, with the “vast majority” arriving on time. Yet, for many customers, the experience has been far from seamless.
Dozens of consumers have taken to social media to share stories of lost and delayed packages in the run-up to Christmas. Leanne Flanagan, a mother from Portglenone, County Antrim, told BBC News NI that her recent dealings with Evri were "horrific." After ordering a Christmas present on November 12, she received only automated responses and no clear information about the parcel’s whereabouts. "It’s my main Christmas present, it arrived at a warehouse and I’ve heard absolutely nothing back bar an automated response every time and they don’t know where it’s at," she said. Frustrated by the lack of human contact, Flanagan has since requested that her supplier avoid using Evri for any replacement orders.
Businesses, too, have felt the pinch. TradePrintingUK, located near the new Mallusk depot, reported repeated delays affecting production. Mark Cairns, the company’s design manager, described a pattern of missed deliveries: “You would get an e-mail in the morning, saying it’s going to be delivered. The morning would come and go. We certainly don’t see them and we wait another day and that pattern continues for days.” The company is now seeking suppliers that do not use Evri, despite the irony of being based next to the depot.
For Alison McNeilly in Ballyclare, County Antrim, the switch to Evri by her pet food supplier spelled trouble. Since August, she has been unable to receive deliveries, forcing her to buy supermarket pet food at twice the cost. "From August this year, we haven’t been able to get any cat food delivered at all," she lamented, pointing to the new depot as a likely culprit.
The GMB union, which represents some Evri staff, acknowledged the “well documented teething issues” at the new Mallusk hub. They noted that Evri has since opened two additional units to alleviate pressure and held a constructive meeting with management on December 12, where multiple concerns were reportedly addressed. “We look forward to hearing their progress,” a GMB spokesperson said.
Evri, for its part, has apologized to affected customers and emphasized ongoing investment. In a statement to BBC News NI, the company said, “We are investing to further expand the new site, increase capacity and we are bringing in additional people to support.” The company maintains that only a small number of people have experienced localised issues.
The problems are not confined to Northern Ireland. Across the South Coast of England, MPs have received a flood of complaints about parcels being abandoned, misplaced, or even dumped in car parks. On December 12, Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage wrote to Evri CEO Martijn de Lange, calling for a full investigation into the handling of parcels in her constituency. “There are many reliable delivery drivers who do their job with great care, so it is incredibly frustrating for them, and people relying on timely Christmas deliveries, when a handful can’t be trusted,” Dinenage said in a letter requesting urgent action and reassurance that all affected parcels would be located or replaced.
Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes echoed these concerns, highlighting “numerous examples of parcels dumped on roadside verges, left in gateways wholly unrelated to the delivery addresses.” She warned that small businesses relying on Evri were “bearing the brunt of angry customers” and the financial cost of replacing lost goods.
Other MPs, including Poole Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan and Bournemouth East MP Tom Hayes, joined the chorus of criticism. Duncan-Jordan cited repeated use of the same “proof of delivery” photos and incorrect delivery claims, which he said “severely undermined confidence in your internal processes.” Hayes described the situation as “increasingly stressful and inadequate,” noting that residents had created a Facebook group to track down missing parcels and deliver them themselves—a testament to the depth of local frustration.
Evri’s response has been to apologize, promise further investigation, and highlight its operational improvements. The company says it is on track to deliver over 900 million parcels this year, with “the vast majority” arriving successfully. In the wake of a widely shared incident in Netley Abbey, where seven parcels were found abandoned outside a home, Evri confirmed it had dismissed the responsible courier. “This is the busiest time of year for parcel deliveries, and demand is higher than ever as volumes double. Our priority is to handle every parcel with care, and we apologise for the disruption in this community,” an Evri spokesperson said.
To address the surge in demand and operational challenges, Evri announced on December 12 a major recruitment drive for 2,500 new workers across the UK, including roles in corporate offices, depots, and the newly acquired former DHL operation, which will become Evri Premium next year. The hiring spree comes after parcel volumes rose 12% to 425 million in the half-year to August 30, 2025, compared to the previous year. The company has also invested £36 million in infrastructure and expanded through acquisitions of Coll-8 and UK Mail, following the merger with DHL’s UK ecommerce business earlier this year.
Chief executive Martijn de Lange highlighted the company’s growth and the vital role of its courier network: “We continue to deliver phenomenal growth at Evri, and none more so than within our hard-working courier network, who are truly the backbone of our business. At a time when many companies are reducing headcount and unemployment is growing, we’re proud to be creating thousands of opportunities and leading the way with initiatives like Evri Plus.”
Yet, even as Evri touts its expansion and investments, the company faces a looming public relations challenge. The announcement of its recruitment drive came just ahead of a BBC Panorama investigation into its business practices—a report that Evri has publicly disputed.
For consumers caught in the crossfire of missed deliveries and seasonal stress, the Consumer Council NI advises contacting retailers first, as “your contract is with the retailer, not the delivery company.” If goods are not delivered, customers can request a replacement or refund, and escalate complaints if needed. “If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can contact the Consumer Council,” a spokesperson advised.
As Christmas approaches, the pressure is on for Evri to restore customer confidence and prove that its rapid growth and operational investments can deliver not just parcels, but the reliability and care that UK consumers expect during the most crucial time of the year.
