What Did Evri Use to Be Called? Hermes UK Explained

Evri used to be called Hermes UK. The British parcel delivery company changed its public name from Hermes to Evri in March 2022, introducing new branding across its website, delivery vehicles, depots and ParcelShops.

However, Hermes was not the first name used by the delivery operation. Its history stretches back several decades through names including Parcelnet and Hermes Parcelnet Ltd, with earlier roots in a home delivery operation established by Grattan Mail Order.

The 2022 change was more than simply replacing the Hermes logo. Evri said the new identity formed part of a wider transformation programme following significant growth and investment in the business.

Since then, the company has continued expanding and, by 2026, operates as the core delivery brand within the enlarged Evri Group.

Was Evri Previously Called Hermes?

Yes. Immediately before becoming Evri, the delivery company was known as Hermes UK.

For many years, Hermes was one of the most recognisable parcel delivery brands in Britain, handling deliveries for major online retailers as well as parcels sent directly by individuals and small businesses.

This is why customers may still refer to Evri as Hermes, particularly when talking about deliveries made before 2022.

The change did not mean that an entirely new courier suddenly replaced Hermes. The existing UK parcel operation adopted a new brand identity and continued providing delivery services as Evri.

Older order confirmations, tracking histories and retailer emails may therefore contain the Hermes name even though the courier is now known as Evri.

When Did Hermes Become Evri?

Hermes UK became Evri in March 2022.

The company announced that the new Evri branding would be introduced across its locations, delivery vehicles and ParcelShops.

The transition was rolled out across the network rather than every Hermes sign and customer communication changing at exactly the same moment.

For that reason, some customers continued to see Hermes branding for a period after the announcement.

The key date to remember is:

March 2022: Hermes UK rebranded as Evri.

By 2026, the Evri identity has been established for more than four years and remains the company’s main consumer delivery brand.

What Was Evri Called Before Hermes?

Before the Hermes name was introduced, the delivery operation was known as Parcelnet.

Evri traces its history back even further to a home delivery operation started by Grattan Mail Order in Bradford in 1974.

Grattan and Freeman’s Catalogue Company later combined their delivery infrastructure in 1999 to form Parcelnet. Parcelnet then became Hermes Parcelnet Ltd in 2008, reflecting closer links with the wider Hermes business.

The Hermes identity became increasingly familiar to UK consumers before being replaced by Evri in 2022.

Evri Company Name Timeline

This history explains why people searching old delivery records may encounter several different company names even though they relate to the development of the parcel business now known as Evri.

Why Did Hermes Change Its Name To Evri?

Hermes changed its name to Evri as part of a much wider transformation of the business.

The years leading up to the rebrand had brought significant changes to parcel delivery. Online shopping expanded rapidly, particularly during the pandemic, increasing the number of parcels moving through delivery networks.

Evri says Hermes experienced major growth during this period and received investment to develop its technology, infrastructure, environmental strategy and wider operations.

The Evri identity was therefore presented as a way of representing the company’s next stage rather than simply refreshing an old logo.

The rebrand included a new name, new visual identity, redesigned branding and changes across vehicles, ParcelShops and other customer-facing areas.

What Was Evri’s Official Reason For Changing The Name?

Evri’s official explanation was that the rebrand followed significant investment and two years of dramatic growth, during which the company went through a major transformation programme.

At the time of the announcement, chief executive Martijn de Lange described the move as more than a name change and said it represented the company’s intention to create more responsible delivery experiences.

The company linked the new identity with areas including:

• Customer Service Improvements
• Investment In The Delivery Network
• Courier Benefits
• Environmental Commitments
• Business Growth
• A New Company Culture

The rebrand announcement also coincided with changes affecting couriers, including plans for pension enrolment for qualifying self-employed-plus couriers and maternity and paternity benefits.

Evri therefore presented the new name as part of a broader business programme rather than as an isolated marketing exercise.

Did Customer Complaints Influence The Rebrand?

Hermes had faced considerable public criticism before becoming Evri, particularly over issues such as missing parcels, damaged deliveries and difficulties contacting customer support.

This led some customers and commentators to question whether changing the name was partly intended to move the company away from the negative reputation associated with Hermes.

However, it would be misleading to state that customer complaints were officially given as the sole reason for the rebrand.

The company’s own explanation focused on growth, investment and transformation.

The most balanced conclusion is that the rebrand happened at a time when Hermes was attempting to change both its business and its public image.

Existing criticism formed part of the wider context, but Evri publicly positioned the move as the beginning of a broader transformation.

What Does The Name Evri Mean?

The name Evri is designed around the idea of “every”.

Its branding was intended to represent delivering for different people, businesses, communities and locations rather than targeting one particular type of customer.

The unusual spelling also gave the courier a distinctive brand that could be recognised independently from the old Hermes identity.

Evri’s launch messaging used ideas connected with delivering for “everyone” and “everywhere”, reinforcing the connection between Evri and the word “every”.

The name is not generally presented as an acronym where each letter represents a separate word. Instead, it functions as a stylised brand name reflecting the wider “every” concept.

What Changed When Hermes Became Evri?

The most obvious changes were the company’s name, logo and public branding, but the existing parcel network continued operating.

Evri also connected the new identity with investment in customer service, couriers, sustainability and infrastructure.

It is therefore better to describe the transition as a rebrand combined with a wider transformation programme, rather than either a simple logo change or the creation of a completely unrelated company.

How Did The Evri Rebrand Impact The Company?

The Evri name became the foundation for a period of substantial growth and investment.

According to the company, it tripled the size of its business over a five-year period and continued investing in areas such as international deliveries, returns, fulfilment, ParcelShops, lockers and distribution infrastructure.

The business also expanded its physical network and parcel volumes.

By the 2025/26 financial period, the newly expanded Evri Group reported record parcel volumes, up 17% compared with 2024/25, while more than £80 million had been invested in operations, services and employees during what the company described as a transformational year.

The rebrand itself cannot be credited for all of this growth. Ecommerce expansion, investment, acquisitions, infrastructure and changes in the wider parcel market have also played major roles.

However, the Evri identity successfully replaced Hermes as the company’s principal UK consumer brand and remained in place as the business expanded into a much larger delivery group.

Did The Rebrand Improve Evri’s Reputation?

The answer is mixed.

Changing the name gave the business an opportunity to create a new identity, but it did not automatically remove concerns about delivery performance or customer service.

Evri says it has millions of five-star customer reviews and reports an average courier rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Independent consumer research presents a more complicated picture.

Citizens Advice’s 2025 Parcels League Table gave Evri an overall score of 2.25 out of 5, placing it jointly around the middle of the five major operators assessed. Evri received 2.7 for customer service but only 2 for trust.

Ofcom’s 2025 research also found that Evri remained among the weaker performers when customers were asked about satisfaction with contacting parcel companies for help.

This suggests that the Evri brand has become widely established, but rebuilding customer trust involves considerably more than changing a company name.

How Did Customers React To The New Name?

Reaction to the Evri name was mixed when it was introduced.

Some customers focused on the distinctive spelling and the connection with the word “every”, while others viewed the rebrand more sceptically because of their previous experiences with Hermes.

This was particularly important because Hermes already had very high public recognition. Replacing such a familiar name meant Evri had to establish recognition while also convincing customers that broader improvements were taking place.

More than four years later, Evri is now firmly established as the operating brand, although the Hermes name remains familiar to customers who used the courier before 2022.

Is Evri Still The Same Delivery Company As Hermes?

For customers, Evri is the successor brand to the parcel delivery operation previously known as Hermes UK.

If an online retailer used Hermes before 2022 and now says Evri will deliver an order, this does not necessarily mean that it changed to an entirely unrelated courier.

The underlying business continued through the rebrand, although its ownership, infrastructure, services and corporate structure have evolved considerably since then.

This distinction is important because “Hermes” may refer to different businesses historically. Hermes UK was part of a broader European logistics history, while Evri specifically became the brand used by the UK parcel operation.

The parcel company should also not be confused with Hermès, the French luxury fashion business.

Who Owns Evri In 2026?

Evri’s ownership has changed significantly since the Hermes era.

As of 2026, the UK group is majority owned by funds managed by Apollo, while DHL Group holds a minority interest following the combination of Evri with DHL eCommerce UK. Evri’s own current tax information confirms this majority and minority ownership structure.

The DHL transaction did not mean the Evri brand disappeared.

When the merger was announced in 2025, the companies said Evri would retain its main branding while DHL eCommerce UK’s operation would become part of the wider group.

This means ownership changes should be distinguished from the original Hermes-to-Evri rebrand.

Hermes becoming Evri was a brand transformation in 2022.

The subsequent Apollo and DHL developments concern the ownership and structure of the expanded business.

What Happened To Evri After The Rebrand?

Evri continued expanding after 2022 rather than treating the rebrand as the end of its transformation.

The business invested in distribution infrastructure, technology, ParcelShops, lockers, international services and additional capacity.

A major change came in 2025, when Evri and DHL eCommerce UK announced plans to combine their UK operations.

The merger received regulatory approval and officially completed on 1 October 2025, creating the enlarged Evri Group.

The group now brings together businesses and operations including:

• Evri
• Evri Premium
• UK Mail
• Coll-8

Evri says the combined group is expected to handle more than one billion parcels annually, alongside around one billion business letters.

The original Evri delivery service remains the group’s core operating brand.

Is Evri Now DHL?

No. Evri has not simply changed its name to DHL.

Evri and DHL eCommerce UK combined their UK operations in 2025, but Evri retained its core brand.

Under the structure announced following the merger, DHL eCommerce UK’s network is being developed under the Evri Premium name in 2026.

It remains a separate network designed for services including faster, time-sensitive deliveries and parcels requiring additional security.

DHL Group also became a significant minority shareholder in the enlarged Evri Group, while Apollo-managed funds remain the majority owner.

Customers should therefore think of the situation as a business combination rather than another straightforward name change.

The sequence is:

Hermes UK → Evri in 2022 → Expanded Evri Group following the DHL eCommerce UK merger in 2025

The familiar Evri brand continues in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Did Evri Use To Be Called?

Evri was previously called Hermes UK. Hermes officially rebranded as Evri in March 2022.

When Did Hermes Change Its Name To Evri?

Hermes UK became Evri in March 2022, with the new branding introduced across vehicles, ParcelShops, websites and other parts of its delivery network.

Why Did Hermes Change Its Name?

Evri said the change followed major growth, investment and a wider transformation programme. The new identity was intended to represent the company’s future direction rather than simply changing its logo.

What Was The Official Reason For The Evri Rebrand?

The company said the rebrand followed two years of significant growth and transformation. It linked the new identity with responsible deliveries, customer service, courier support, sustainability and continued investment.

What Does Evri Mean?

Evri is a stylised name associated with the word “every”, reflecting the idea of delivering for different people, places and communities.

Did Changing From Hermes To Evri Help The Company?

The business has expanded substantially since the 2022 rebrand, but the name change alone cannot explain that growth. Investment, ecommerce demand, acquisitions, infrastructure expansion and the later DHL eCommerce UK merger have also influenced the company’s development.

Is Evri The Same Company As Hermes?

Evri is the successor brand to Hermes UK’s parcel delivery operation. The existing delivery business continued when the Hermes identity was replaced by Evri in 2022.

Is Evri Now Part Of DHL?

Evri and DHL eCommerce UK completed their merger in October 2025. DHL Group holds a minority interest in the enlarged Evri Group, but Evri continues to operate under its own core brand.

Who Owns Evri In 2026?

Evri Group is majority-owned by Apollo-managed funds, while DHL Group has a minority interest following the combination with DHL eCommerce UK.