Vanaways Supports 7 Days in Growth Phase

A rapidly-growing courier company has contract hired 30 new vans as it targets 25 per cent growth during its current year in business.

Since being set up in Basildon, Essex, seven years ago, 7 Days has developed into a £12m turnover delivery service partner (DSP) for the likes of Amazon, Hived, DX and UPS.

It has delivery contracts around London and the South East with a fleet of 300 vans and employing 370 drivers in total. Now it has partnered with Bristol-based vehicle broker Vanaways as it targets further growth to £15m turnover during 2025.

The relationship has started with 30 Citroen Dispatches, funded by Kettering-based Grosvenor Leasing.

Liam Nicholas, business development director with Vanaways, said: “The vans offer everything a driver could want, they come with all the latest safety tech, plus the kind of nice to haves, that really make a difference when you’re behind the wheel all day.

“Integrated smartphone touchscreens, cruise control, parking sensors, and a really generous payload make them ideal for the demands of parcel delivery.

“It’s great to work with the likes of Grosvenor who really understand the courier market. Paul and his team were a pleasure to work with throughout this deal, and together we’ve helped 7 Days expand quickly and effectively.

“A great example of what can be done when all parties are aligned and responsive.”

The UK courier and express parcel market is a large and growing sector, significantly influenced by e-commerce and changing consumer demands.

In 2024, the market was estimated to be worth £16.1 billion, and is projected to reach £23.6 billion by 2028.

Growth is fuelled by increasing online shopping, the demand for faster delivery options like same-day and next-day, and the rise of contactless delivery.

Vladson Caliari is head office manager at 7 Days, supporting business director Agnaldo Espindola. “This market is really positive,” said Mr Caliari, “with plenty of opportunities from which our business can benefit.

“We’re certainly very proud of what we’ve achieved in the past eight years and are looking forward to developing the company further as the market continues to grow. As such relationships with reliable suppliers are key to our growth – we need people who understand our model and want to support our growth potential.

“So we’re grateful to Liam and the Vanaways team for the work they’ve done with us so far. We’re very happy with the vehicles and the customer service and we’ll look forward to a good relationship going forwards.”

Vanaways has recently revealed plans to double turnover to £200m by 2026, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary in business. The Bristol-based company has seen spectacular growth since Covid-19, with turnover rising from £15m in 2020 to £109m in 2023/4.

Paul Wickenden, business development manager at Grosvenor Leasing, said: “This was all about speed and simplicity, two things courier businesses rely on. We knew what was needed, put the right facilities in place fast, and worked closely with Liam to make sure everything moved in the right direction. It’s been a great project to be part of.”