Market gap in wake of GXO acquisition of Wincanton

LAST WEEK, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cleared GXO’s acquisition of Wincanton on the condition Wincanton’s dedicated grocery warehousing business is sold.

Chris Clowes, executive director at logistics consultancy SCALA, says it is possible this could result in an unexpected win for market diversity.

“Whoever takes over Wincanton’s grocery contracts will inherit a rare platform to build a challenger 3PL in the UK – especially if larger players like DHL and Culina are ruled out.

“Looking at the bigger picture, there’s certainly a question of long-term UK resilience: with Wincanton now part of a global operator, the industry must consider whether it’s at risk of losing homegrown logistics capacity in strategic sectors like defence.

“This deal draws attention to the fact that the UK logistics market is becoming increasingly concentrated, and there is a real opportunity – and need – for more agile, mid-sized players to emerge.”