Ecommerce platform eShopWorld has been fully acquired by Asendia, a partnership between France’s La Poste and Swiss Post.

Asendia has been a majority shareholder in the Irish company since 2017, with 50.1% of shares, and the buyout of the remaining shares is likely to value the company at around €1 billion, according to press speculation.

That in turn means a windfall for founder and chief executive Tommy Kelly (pictured).

ESW works with global retailers such as Nike, Calvin Klein and Victoria’s Secret to help them localise their websites for more than 200 markets. Its technology can handle a range of services, from dealing with taxes and tariffs, to delivery, returns, fraud protection and data security.

ESW will remain a stand-alone entity, with the current management remaining. The purchase investment will accelerate expansion and development of its technology and logistics capabilities, the company says.

In Association with

Kelly commented: "This is a significant endorsement of ESW growth, sustainability and success in embracing the structural shift in favour of online shopping.

"I want to thank and pay tribute to our incredibly talented and loyal staff, who have been a key differentiator in ESW journey to becoming the world's leading cross border e-commerce enabler inside a decade.”

Asendia chief executive Marc Pontet added: "ESW are experts in making it easy for global brands to have a local presence. Additionally, its focus on making e-commerce frictionless, regardless of location, made it a coherent, strategic choice to make ESW part of the Asendia family. The move dovetails with our overarching aim to make worldwide e-commerce simple and reliable, and is a significant step in making this vision a reality."

Pic: Peter Houlihan