It would appear that the administrators appointed by Tuffnell’s have found a buyer – for at least some of the business.
Shift has struck a deal with Interpath Advisory to buy Tuffnells' brand and intellectual property assets.
Along with a number of other parties, Shift remains in talks with Interpath about acquiring the leases to some or all of Tuffnells' 33 delivery depots around the country. At this stage, the future of some 2,000 jobs is unclear.
Shift was founded by 29 year-old Jacob Corlett - and has already made a number of acquisitions in the sector
Shift's purchase of Tuffnells' intellectual property assets represents another step towards building a logistics tech powerhouse for Mr Corlett, who founded the company in 2017.
Its biggest clients in Britain include Homebase and IKEA.
Mr Corlett said:
"Tuffnells is one of the UK's most recognisable logistics companies, which provides delivery services to over 4,000 businesses across the UK and this acquisition will significantly increase our logistics coverage across the country.
"The acquisition supports our vision for Shift's tech-driven logistics platform to disrupt both consumer and business logistics, through cutting-edge AI-driven routing decisions and driver management efficiency.
"We are also currently in dialogue with relevant parties to enable us to reopen some depots and provide re-employment opportunities."
Richard Harrison, joint administrator at Interpath Advisory, said:
"We are pleased to have concluded this transaction which secures the future of one of the UK's longest-standing and well-recognised courier brands, as well helping to facilitate an opportunity for the purchaser to generate a number of jobs."
