All Access

Supply Chain Deals

Supply Chain Deals Alerts

Alert

DHL Supply Chain acquired e-commerce and retail distributor IDS Fulfillment, the companies announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: DHL acquired reverse logistics provider Inmar Supply Chain Logistics' in January, making it North America's largest returns processor, the company says.

What they're saying: "It's an instantaneous capability change for us," DHL Supply Chain e-commerce president Kraig Foreman tells Axios. "Now we've got networks to go both ways."

The company declined to provide details on the transaction.

State of play: Investments in retail and e-commerce — plus returns — come as tariffs stunt a manufacturing rebound.

Context: Westerville, Ohio-based DHL Supply Chain's two deals followed rival UPS' acquisition of reverse logistics provider Happy Returns at the end of 2023.

FedEx will launch FedEx Easy Returns in partnership with Blue Yonder this summer.

Zoom in: Plainfield, Illinois-based IDS Fulfillment has facilities in Indianapolis, Salt Lake City and Atlanta.

The logistics provider handles more than 50,000 shipments per day and offers two- and three-day service to most of the continental U.S.

The deal includes 1.3 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space across the U.S. for small and midsized customers.

Its services include direct-to-consumer, retail, and Fulfillment by Amazon preparation and Fulfillment by Merchant support for Amazon sellers.

Between the lines: The deal makes sense as DHL aims to take e-commerce market share, ShipMatrix founder and FedEx alum Satish Jindel tells Axios.

"If you want to support the e-commerce world, B2C, you've got to have the fulfillment capability," he says.

IDS Fulfillment relies on about 10 parcel carriers and plans to increase its reliance on regional and local carriers, Foreman says.

Shifting dynamics between national carriers and the U.S. Postal Service contributed to DHL's desire for a fulfillment network to service customers out of multiple locations in a cost-effective way, he adds.

What's next: The logistics giant doesn't foresee another deal in the sector but will add facilities for small and midsized customers in the Northeast and the Southwest.

"The timing of all those are is unknown," Foreman adds.

Strategic and opportunistic acquisitions in other supply chain areas could come later this year or next year, he says.

DHL acquires logistics provider IDS Fulfillment

The deal complements DHL's January buy of a reverse logistics provider.

A worker drives a forklift at a DHL distribution center in Mexico on March 12, 2025.

A worker drives a forklift at a DHL distribution center in Mexico on March 12, 2025. Photo: Ian Robles/ Pixelnews/Future Publishing via Getty Images

DHL Supply Chain acquired e-commerce and retail distributor IDS Fulfillment, the companies announced Tuesday.Why it matters: DHL <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="acquired" data-vars-click-url="https://group.dhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2025/dhl-acquires-reverse-logistics-leader-inmar-supply-chain-solutions.html" data-vars-content-id="9d109fa4-40f6-4bc7-9e1d-e6606a289216" data-vars-headline="DHL acquires logistics provider IDS Fulfillment" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://group.dhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2025/dhl-acquires-reverse-logistics-leader-inmar-supply-chain-solutions.html" target="_blank">acquired</a> reverse logistics provider Inmar Supply Chain Logistics&#x27; in January, making it North America&#x27;s largest returns processor, the company says.

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

charlotte

boulder

detroit

kansas-city

columbus

austin

dallas

atlanta

washington-dc

nw-arkansas

chicago

indianapolis

nashville

richmond

colorado-springs

houston

san-francisco

seattle

boston

des-moines

salt-lake-city

philadelphia

denver

phoenix

new-orleans

miami

twin-cities

raleigh

san-antonio

portland

san-diego

tampa-bay

cleveland

huntsville

pittsburgh

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

DHL acquires logistics provider IDS Fulfillment

What to read next