The collapse of Fastway Ireland shows why courier resilience matters more than ever

Earlier this week, Fastway Couriers Ireland (along with its associated brands Parcel Connect and Nügo) entered receivership, putting hundreds of jobs and thousands of deliveries at risk. The move follows months of financial strain within the parcel sector, as rising fuel costs, tighter margins, and increased competition erode profitability across courier networks.  

For retailers, this news isn’t just another business headline, it’s a real wake-up call about the fragility of delivery operations and the need to diversify courier strategies.  

What Happened 

According to multiple reports from The Irish Times and Irish Examiner, the parent company, Nuvion Group, appointed receivers after struggling with sustained inflation and pricing pressures. Approximately 300 jobs are now at risk, along with significant disruption to subcontractors and franchise operators who formed the backbone of Fastway’s delivery network.  

Customers and retailers have been advised that the receivers are reviewing operations and will contact affected parties regarding next steps for parcels already in transit. 

The Impact on Retailers & Fulfilment Providers 

While the full outcome remains uncertain, Fastway’s receivership has immediate implications for online merchants and fulfilment partners: 

• Parcels at risk of delay or loss: Orders currently within the Fastway network may face extended delivery times or cancellation.  

• Tracking and visibility gaps: With systems under administrative control, retailers could lose access to reliable parcel updates. 

• Customer experience strain: Support teams will likely see a spike in WISMO (“Where is my order?”) queries as customers seek reassurance.  

• Fulfilment bottlenecks: Retailers using Fastway-specific integrations may need to pause shipments or reconfigure workflows at short notice.  

In short, if your delivery flow depends on a single carrier, this failure can cascade across your operations in hours.  

Why This Matters Beyond Fastway 

The parcel delivery market has become increasingly volatile. Economic headwinds, tightening margins, and consolidation are reshaping courier networks across Europe. Even well-established operators face structural pressures: from fuel surcharges and driver shortages to growing customer expectations for next-day delivery. 

The lesson is clear: reliance on one courier is a single point of failure. Retailers must build systems that can flex and adapt when markets shift. 

How to Strengthen Courier Resilience 

While no merchant can control the wider logistics landscape, you can control how your business responds to disruption. Steps worth considering include: 

• Review courier exposure: Identify which percentage of shipments rely on a single provider. 

• Enable multi-carrier logic: Use shipping software (like Voila) that can automatically reroute labels and manifests to alternative couriers. 

• Keep data unified: Ensure tracking and fulfilment data sit in one place, so customer support teams remain informed even during transitions. 

• Communicate proactively: If you anticipate delays, inform customers early to protect brand trust. 

• Simulate courier failure: Test what would happen if one carrier stopped overnight; ensure your team can switch without breaking fulfilment flow.  

Courier Alternatives: Powered by One Connection 

Voila connects retailers to a wide range of leading couriers (including DPD, AnPost, Royal Mail, Evri, DHL, UPS, FedEx, and GLS) all through a single API. That means no separate integrations, no rebuilds, and no downtime when switching carriers. 

You can apply courier rules based on weight, value, destination, and more, ensuring every parcel is shipped with the most reliable and cost-efficient option available. And if one courier goes offline, Voila allows you to instantly route shipments through an alternative network to keep orders moving. 

A Reminder of What Resilience Looks Like 

Courier collapses are rare but not new. As Fastway’s receivership shows, they can happen suddenly. For growing retailers, delivery resilience isn’t just about having backup couriers; it’s about having technology that lets you switch, reroute, and keep customers informed in real time. 

At Voila, we help merchants do exactly that: connecting fulfilment, courier management, and returns in one place to ensure your delivery promise doesn’t depend on a single provider.  

If your business is affected by Fastway’s receivership or you’re reviewing courier continuity plans, stay tuned for our next article: “How to switch couriers fast: lessons from the Fastway collapse.”