Published 30th Jun 2023, 16:45 BST

Former Sheffield-headquartered Tuffnells, one of the UK’s largest delivery firms with 33 depots, was placed into administration on June 12 with the loss of over 2,000 jobs after it failed to navigate a number of pressures which impacted trading, including Covid, high cost inflation, and an increasingly competitive market.

The new deal with London-based Shift, which bought Tuffnell’s brand and IP from administrators Interpath Advisory earlier this week, means 24 of Tuffnell’s depots have now been acquired. DX Logistics acquired 15 depots and recruited 250 former Tuffnells employees on Thursday.

Shift said it is in ‘advanced discussions’ with landlords over a further six former Tuffnells depots. The company plans to relaunch Tuffnells next month with a total of 25 depots.

Logistics platform Shift is to take over nine delivery depots from former Sheffield-headquartered Tuffnells Parcels Express and relaunch the brand which went into administration earlier this month. Picture by Gerard Binks

Shift said the announcement enables the business to hire former employees who were made redundant as part of the administration process.

Jacob Corlett, chief executive of Shift, said: “We have secured a future for Tuffnells and are well on the way to launching 25 depots, part of this includes taking on nine of the original Tuffnells depot network that have been chosen for being strategically well positioned and suitable for our plans to invest significantly in onsite technology.

"This enables us to provide employment for several hundred former employees.

"We intend to relaunch Tuffnells in July when, with our tech overlayed and integrated, it will be an operationally efficient business with significant potential for the generation of ongoing and profitable growth.

"We are genuinely excited by the prospect.”

Tuffnells: Logistics firm Shift to relaunch former Sheffield-headquartered brand with 25 depots next month