On April 16, 2025, Yandex announced its acquisition of the Boxberry delivery service, a strategic move aimed at enhancing its logistics and e-commerce capabilities across Russia. The deal, whose financial terms have not been disclosed, will enable Yandex to extend its customer base and broaden the geographical reach of its services.
The integration of Boxberry's logistics infrastructure into Yandex's ecosystem is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Following this integration, Boxberry clients will gain access to Yandex's comprehensive suite of e-commerce and delivery tools, significantly improving their operational efficiency.
Boxberry, which operates over 4,500 pick-up points (POP) across Russia, will allow Yandex to expand its delivery network into more than 20 new regions, including remote areas in Siberia and the Far East. This expansion is anticipated to increase the density of Yandex's existing delivery points in areas where Yandex Delivery is already operational.
As part of the acquisition, Yandex Delivery will purchase 100% of Boxberry Soft LLC and Smart Logistics LLC, the legal entities owned by Boxberry's founders: Vladimir Teplukhin, Konstantin Astafyev, and Veronika Tagunova. In 2024, Boxberry Soft reported a revenue of 2.3 billion rubles, with a loss of 198 million rubles, while Smart Logistics recorded a revenue of 499 million rubles, incurring a loss of 13 million rubles.
Industry experts view this acquisition as a pivotal move for Yandex, allowing the company to enhance its logistics capabilities significantly. According to Fedor Virin, a partner at Data Insight, Yandex is primarily acquiring Boxberry's next-day delivery service, which is characterized by a sophisticated infrastructure and established customer base. “In this sense, Boxberry is one of the most developed players in this type of delivery,” Virin noted.
Sergey Semko, another analyst from Data Insight, emphasized that this acquisition provides Yandex with a ready-made network of pick-up points, which could be a more efficient method of expanding its logistics infrastructure compared to developing independent points from scratch. He remarked, “Boxberry gives Yandex a powerful leap in regional coverage.”
The acquisition is not just a strategic expansion for Yandex but also a response to the growing competition from other e-commerce giants such as Ozon and Wildberries. Maxim Samoylenko, the marketing director for a platform that analyzes marketplace sales, pointed out that Yandex's current logistics network of 14,000 pick-up points is dwarfed by its competitors, which boast between 65,000 and 70,000 points. With Boxberry's addition, Yandex's coverage will increase to around 23,000 points, significantly improving its service accessibility.
The integration of Boxberry's logistics solutions will also provide customers with enhanced delivery options, including same-day delivery and urban delivery services. Yandex's algorithms will automatically calculate shipping times and costs based on current demand and supply, streamlining the delivery process for clients.
Boxberry's team will remain intact and continue to develop logistics solutions under the Yandex brand, ensuring continuity in service and innovation. This strategic consolidation is expected to bolster Yandex's competitive edge in the e-commerce landscape, particularly in regions where it previously had limited presence.
In summary, Yandex's acquisition of Boxberry represents a significant step in the ongoing evolution of Russia's e-commerce and logistics sectors. As the landscape becomes increasingly competitive, this move may well position Yandex to better compete with established players like Ozon and Wildberries, while also enhancing the overall efficiency and reach of its delivery services.
