What Bournes does

Bournes (legal entity T. Bourne & Son Ltd) is a privately held, family-owned removals and relocation company headquartered in Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom, founded in 1875. The company delivers door-to-door household removals across the UK, European road removals to six continental destinations (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland), and international removals to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA through its FIDI FAIM-accredited global partner network. Beyond physical moving, Bournes operates owned container-storage facilities in Cranleigh and Rye, offers professional packing, piano moving, pet shipping, and inheritance shipping, and runs a full corporate relocation practice covering home search, school search, family support, settling-in services, language and cultural training, and office and commercial moves.

The technology stack is operational rather than proprietary: Moveware provides the move management backbone for planning, tracking, and coordinating customer moves; HubSpot powers marketing automation, email campaigns, and LiveChat customer service; WorldPay handles PCI DSS-compliant payment processing; and the MoveConnect client portal supports customer self-service. The company maintains ISO 9001, FIDI FAIM, BAR, and PCI DSS certifications and employs 101-250 staff across five UK branches in Rye, Cranleigh, Tunbridge Wells, Aylesbury, and London. Average employee tenure of 9.5 years and annual volume of 2,800 family relocations, 1.3 million fleet miles, and 67,000+ packed boxes indicate a mature operating engine.

Bournes generates revenue primarily through fixed-price professional services quotes set after pre-move surveys, with pay-as-you-go container storage as a secondary recurring stream (£14.40-£36 per week). Its go-to-market is a hybrid sales-led model combining field sales at five UK branches, inside sales via phone and web, and direct-to-consumer self-service quote booking. Marketing spans SEO, content (blog, downloadable guides, checklists), paid social, HubSpot-driven email, and a referral partnership with UK property portal Rightmove. Customer segments are dominated by residential households, with a growing corporate/employer relocation vertical and a smaller commercial moves business; the customer base is fragmented with no enterprise anchor contracts disclosed.

Name

Bournes

Legal name

T. Bourne & Son Ltd

Website

https://bournesmoves.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bournes is a family-owned UK removals and relocation company, founded 1875, providing household moves, European and international shipping, storage, corporate relocation, and commercial moves through five UK branches and a FIDI-accredited global partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Removals and Relocation Services

NAICS

Used Household and Office Goods Moving (484210), Used Household and Office Goods Moving (48421)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Loading/Unloading with Company Truck (In-Town Transport) (HSAKAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Packing & Unpacking Services (HSAKADAA), Estate, Probate & Downsizing Full-Service Storage (HSAKAHAJ), Family & Spousal/Partner Support (Schooling, Career Assistance) (HSAKAJAI), Packing, Unpacking & Set-Up Services (HSAFAFAB)

Keywords

• Household removals services
• Corporate relocation services
• International shipping services
• Container storage solutions
• Commercial office moving

Headquarters

HQ city

Rye

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Household Removals Services: Door-to-door local and long-distance household moves with optional packing services. Revenue generated through fixed-price quotes based on pre-move surveys assessing volume and complexity of moves
2. International Removals: Full and shared container shipping and airfreight services to and from worldwide locations. Pricing based on volume, destination, and shipping method selected
3. European Road Removals: Door-to-door road removals between the UK and mainland Europe including Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Switzerland
4. Storage Services: Container storage with collection and delivery services. Customers pay per container per week, with flexible short and long-term options. Standard containers from £14.40/week, large containers from £36/week
5. Packing Services: Professional packing services including full pack or fragile-only options, with high-quality packing materials and custom crating for fragile or high-value items
6. Corporate Relocation Services: Comprehensive employee relocation services including household goods moving, home search, school search, family support, settling-in services, temporary accommodation, area orientation, language and cultural training
7. Commercial Moves: Office and business relocation services for businesses, education, and other organisations, including logistics and warehousing support
8. Insurance and Protection Products: Comprehensive transit insurance, Late Key and Cancellation/Postponement protection providing financial protection against unexpected events during moves

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bournes is a family-run removals and relocation company that provides door-to-door household and commercial moving services, including UK domestic removals, European road removals, and international container shipping and airfreight. The company also operates secure container storage facilities and full-service corporate employee relocation packages covering home search, school search, family support, and cultural training.

Product overview

Bournes is a removals and relocation services company offering a comprehensive suite of physical moving services. The core offerings include UK house removals, international removals (with full and shared container shipping), European road removals, storage services, and corporate relocation packages. Additional services include packing services, pet shipping, piano moving, and logistics & warehousing. Storage is available in standard (250 cubic feet) and large (1050 cubic feet) container formats. The company also provides downloadable resources including moving house kits, checklists, and colouring pages. The company operates as a service-based business rather than a software platform, with services organized by geography (UK, Europe, International) and service type (residential, corporate, commercial).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UK House Removals Door-to-door local and long-distance household moves across the UK, with optional professional packing services for residential customers.
• International Removals Door-to-door full and shared container shipping and airfreight services to and from worldwide locations for residential and corporate customers.
• European Road Removals
• Storage Services Secure container storage with collection and delivery, available in short-term and long-term formats, including storage for moving house, self-storage, storage with collection, storage for renovations, and short-term storage.
• Employee Relocation Services Comprehensive corporate employee relocation packages for businesses of any size, covering household goods moving, destination services, home search, school search, family support, settling-in, temporary accommodation, area orientation, and language and cultural training.
• Office & Commercial Moving Removals and storage services for businesses, educational institutions, and other organisations, including office moves and commercial relocations.
• Logistics & Warehousing Flexible transport and a global network of warehousing to support logistics and distribution for commercial customers.
• Packing Services Professional packing services with full pack or fragile-only options, using expertly trained packers, high-quality packing materials, and custom crating for fragile or high-value items.
• Pet Shipping Specialised pet relocation services accompanying international household removals.
• Piano Moving Specialist piano moving services provided as part of household or corporate relocation packages.
• Full Container Shipping Dedicated full container shipping for international household relocations, providing sole use of a shipping container.
• Shared Container Shipping Cost-effective shared container shipping for international relocations, allowing customers to share container space and costs with other shipments.
• Inheritance Shipping Shipping service that transports inherited personal items and household effects from abroad.
• Standard Storage Container Standard wooden storage container of approximately 250 cubic feet, priced from £14.40 per week (inc. VAT), with collection and delivery service.
• Large Storage Container Large 20ft steel storage container of approximately 1050 cubic feet, priced from £36 per week (inc. VAT), with collection and delivery service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,800 families relocate every year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FIDI (Fédération Internationale des Déménageurs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIDI FAIM accreditation provides Bournes with access to a global network of international removal partners and quality assurance standards for handling international moves. The FIDI FAIM program is the only quality management system specifically designed for international moving companies, requiring rigorous independent auditing.
• British Association of Removers (BAR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBAR membership provides Bournes with pre-vetted status, advance payment guarantee, Trading Standards approved contract, access to Independent Ombudsman for dispute resolution, and referrals through BAR's consumer-facing channels. BAR regularly audits members to ensure quality standards.
• MovewarecoreTechnology or IntegrationMoveware Move Management system is used by Bournes for move planning, tracking, and coordination. The software platform is securely stored on Bournes' server with comprehensive access controls suitable for multi-company applications. Moveware provides the operational backbone for managing customer moves.
• HubSpotmajorTechnology or IntegrationHubSpot provides Bournes with marketing automation (blogs, email campaigns, downloads), LiveChat customer service, and social media management. Bournes gathers statistics about visitor and engagement metrics (opens/clicks/downloads) to monitor and improve marketing performance.
• WorldPaymajorTechnology or IntegrationWorldPay provides online payment processing for Bournes' payment portal. Bournes is PCI DSS certified and does not retain any card details, ensuring secure payment handling compliant with payment industry standards.
• BSI (British Standards Institution)majorTechnology or IntegrationBSI provides ISO 9001 certification for Bournes' quality management system, demonstrating commitment to quality standards in removals and storage services. BSI assurance mark demonstrates compliance with international quality standards.
• RightmoveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership on moving-related content and competitions with Rightmove, a major UK property portal. Collaboration helps Bournes reach property seekers actively planning moves, driving referral traffic and brand awareness.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pickfords: UK's largest domestic removals and storage operator, offering household, international, and corporate relocation services. Directly comparable to Bournes on UK house moves, storage, and corporate channels; larger national footprint makes Pickfords the reference competitor in the same product category.
• Britannia Movers International (BA Group): Network of UK removals agents providing local, national, international, and European moves plus storage. Shares BAR membership and overlapping residential/corporate offering with Bournes; competes head-to-head for household and corporate relocation customers.
• Bishop's Move: Long-established UK household and commercial removal company with national branch coverage and storage services. Closely comparable to Bournes on residential moves, packing, and self-storage; similar BAR-member positioning targeting families and corporate clients.
• Crown Relocations: Global corporate relocation and household goods moving specialist operating in 50+ countries. Overlaps directly with Bournes' international removals, destination services, and corporate relocation streams; competes for the same enterprise mobility contracts.
• Santa Fe Relocation: International relocation and moving company providing destination, immigration, and household goods services globally. Competes with Bournes' FIDI-routed international removals and corporate relocation offering for multinational employer clients.
• Sirva Worldwide Relocation: One of the largest global corporate relocation and moving services providers, with household goods moving plus destination services. Comparable enterprise and international scope to Bournes' corporate relocation product; larger scale buyer of the same customer.
• AGS Worldwide Movers: International removal and relocation specialist operating across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Directly comparable on FIDI-channel international moves and corporate relocation; serves similar multinational customers.
• Allied International (Allied Van Lines UK): International arm of a global moving network providing UK household, international, and corporate moves. Competes with Bournes on European road removals, full/shared container shipping, and inbound UK relocations.

Emerging players

• Home Moving Removals (Storebox / similar UK regional): Self-storage operators serving UK household and small business customers. Comparable to Bournes' storage offering as an alternative channel for temporary and long-term storage during moves, renovations, and downsizing.

Regional players

• Euromove International: European-focused international removal specialist with continental operations and UK pickup coverage. Overlaps with Bournes' European road removals and shared container shipping routes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BournesRemovals
• YouTubeyoutube.com/bournesremovals
• Facebookfacebook.com/BournesRemovals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bournes-relocation-solutions
• Pinterestuk.pinterest.com/bournesremovals

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bournes