Fastway Couriers

What Fastway Couriers does

Fastway Couriers was a parcel delivery company that operated across multiple geographies under a franchise-based network of independent couriers and franchisees. The company's Irish operation was described as a major parcel delivery provider in Ireland, serving online and e-commerce retailers via contract-based relationships. Enterprise customers including ASOS and Sports Direct were served for online retail parcel delivery, alongside other e-commerce volume. Pricing, parcel flow mechanics, and public rates were not disclosed in the available data; revenue was generated through parcel delivery services structured as recurring customer relationships.

The business employed a hub-and-spoke model combining franchisees and independent couriers; the Irish entity impacted up to 1,000 workers (employees, franchisees, and independent contractors). Technology references are limited to real-time track-and-trace functionality and an electronic label platform. The wider Fastway global network underwent structural change in parallel: Australian operations were acquired by Aramex in 2016 and New Zealand operations rebranded as Aramex New Zealand in 2019, while the Irish entity remained independent.

In October 2025, Fastway Couriers Ireland entered receivership after failing to secure new investor capital. The proximate cause was the loss of key contracts with online retailers ASOS and Sports Direct; Fastway accused An Post of predatory pricing in the Irish market. A receiver was appointed to wind down operations, staff were unpaid during the statutory consultation period, and up to 50,000 packages were returned to senders in the weeks following receivership.

Name

Fastway Couriers

Website

https://fastway.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fastway Couriers was a franchise-based parcel delivery network serving e-commerce retailers, principally in Ireland, via independent couriers and franchisees. The Irish entity entered receivership in October 2025 after losing anchor contracts with ASOS and Sports Direct.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Courier & Logistics Services

NAICS

Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921), Local Messengers and Local Delivery (4922)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Document & Small Parcel On‑Demand Courier (TLAAADAA)

Keywords

• Parcel delivery services
• Courier franchise network
• Last mile logistics
• E-commerce shipping
• International freight

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Parcel Delivery Services: Generated revenue through parcel delivery services primarily for online retailers via contract-based arrangements with major e-commerce brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Fastway Couriers provides parcel delivery and last-mile logistics services, operating through a franchise model of regional depots and independent courier contractors. The company historically served online retailers and e-commerce brands, including major clients such as ASOS and Sports Direct, offering timetabled domestic delivery and access to international shipping through the Aramex global network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parcel Delivery Service Domestic parcel pick-up and delivery service operated through regional depots and independent courier franchisees. Targeted at online retailers and SMB senders requiring reliable, timetabled last-mile delivery.
• International Delivery Cross-border parcel shipping leveraging the Aramex global logistics network, enabling customers to send parcels internationally from Australia and New Zealand.
• eBay Seller Delivery Service Specialized parcel delivery offering for eBay marketplace sellers, providing shipping services suited to small-volume, frequent e-commerce shipments.
• Courier Franchise Opportunity Courier franchise program providing exclusive territory rights, training, and operational support to franchisees operating as last-mile delivery contractors.
• Regional Franchise Opportunity Larger-scale regional franchise program for operators managing multiple courier routes or depots within a defined geographic territory.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Yodel: UK parcel carrier reliant on a self-employed courier network for home delivery to retailers; comparable business model and customer segment (e-commerce brands) to Fastway Couriers.
• FedEx Ireland: International express courier with a domestic parcel presence in Ireland competing for the same enterprise and e-commerce parcel contracts that drove Fastway's revenue.
• DHL Express Ireland: Global time-definite courier with Irish operations serving enterprise and e-commerce customers; directly competes with Fastway on domestic parcel pickup/delivery for online retailers.
• An Post: Ireland's state-owned postal operator and parcel delivery provider; directly comparable to Fastway as the incumbent Irish parcel competitor Fastway publicly accused of predatory pricing that contributed to its receivership.
• Evri (formerly Hermes UK): UK parcel delivery network using a courier-partner/agency model serving online retailers; closely analogous to Fastway's franchise-and-independent-courier approach for e-commerce parcel volume.
• UPS Ireland: Global parcel integrator servicing Irish businesses; directly comparable on time-sensitive, contract-based parcel delivery to large retailers like ASOS and Sports Direct.
• DPD Ireland: Parcel delivery subsidiary operating across Ireland with a depot/franchise-style network serving e-commerce retailers; highly comparable to Fastway's model of contracted B2B parcel delivery for online brands.

Broad incumbents

• Aramex: Global logistics integrator that acquired the Australian Fastway business in 2016 and rebranded the New Zealand operation to Aramex NZ in 2019; relevant as both a peer and a prior acquirer of Fastway franchise assets.
• Royal Mail: UK national postal operator with parcel delivery arm serving businesses and retailers; comparable as a broader postal/parcel incumbent competing in e-commerce fulfillment contracts.
• Parcelforce Worldwide: UK parcel and express delivery arm of Royal Mail; broader incumbent offering overlapping parcel services relevant to enterprise and retail customers in adjacent geographies.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fastwaycouriers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fastway-couriers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fastway Couriers