What Irish Businesses Need To Know As Fastway Couriers Folds

What Irish Businesses Need To Know As Fastway Couriers Folds

Parcel2Go Ireland urges small businesses to review courier resilience and keep deliveries moving.

06/11/25 - Following the announcement that Fastway Couriers has entered receivership, thousands of Irish retailers and online sellers now face delivery disruption at a critical time for the e-commerce sector. Small businesses dependent on reliable parcel services are being urged to review their courier arrangements to avoid missed deliveries and financial loss.

According to Ashley Taylor, Director of Commercial of Parcel2Go Ireland, the Fastway collapse highlights how fragile the delivery chain can be for local businesses.

“When a courier network fails it doesn’t just affect parcels - it affects livelihoods,” said Ashley. “Irish SMEs have worked hard to build their online sales, and they deserve logistics partners that can support them through uncertainty. Our focus right now is on helping those businesses stay operational and protect their customers’ trust.”

Courier instability is not new to the Irish market. Several smaller operators have faced administration in recent years, reflecting increased cost pressures and competition across the parcel industry. For many SMEs, relying on a single delivery partner has proven risky - especially during busy trading periods.

When courier services cease trading, the knock-on effects can be immediate:

• Delayed or undelivered parcels, impacting revenue and customer satisfaction
• Increased costs, as businesses are forced to reroute orders at short notice
• Customer service strain, due to refund requests and lack of tracking updates
• Reputational damage, if delays lead to negative reviews or cancelled orders

To support affected businesses, Parcel2Go Ireland has issued a short guide for switching couriers and maintaining service continuity:

1. Audit all active shipments and identify orders at risk.
2. Communicate early with customers about potential delays.
3. Adopt a multi-carrier solution to reduce reliance on one courier.
4. Evaluate performance metrics, not just price.
5. Automate bookings and tracking where possible to prevent bottlenecks.

“This is not about one courier replacing another,” added Ashley. “It’s about strengthening the delivery network that supports Irish businesses every day. By taking proactive steps now, SMEs can keep goods moving and avoid long-term disruption.”

While courier failures remain uncommon, the Fastway situation underscores the importance of resilience and flexibility in Ireland’s logistics sector. For small businesses, contingency planning is now essential, not optional.

About Parcel2Go Ireland

Parcel2Go Ireland is part of the UK’s leading online parcel delivery comparison platform, connecting Irish individuals and businesses with trusted couriers across Ireland, the UK and beyond. The platform offers transparent pricing, real-time tracking, and access to multiple delivery partners in one place.

For more information, visit www.parcel2go.com/ie/.