A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) is making a significant move into the land-based logistics sector. The driving force behind this shift? Ecommerce.

Maersk is a global company in sea-faring transportation and logistics. For its fiscal second quarter ending on Aug. 7, Maersk reported a 7% year-over-year increase in shipping and logistics revenue. As a result, Maersk revenue climbed to $3.63 billion from $3.38 billion.

The company cited volume increases across its product families, which it said “more than offset low rates.” In addition, profitability benefited from “increased asset utilization, good cost control and progress on initiatives to address customer implementation challenges in the ground freight business in North America,” Maersk noted in its earnings release.

Maersk’s latest gains as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen its position in the growing ecommerce logistics market, build off of two key acquisitions from 2021 in the U.S. and Europe.

Maersk revenue grows atop 2021 acquisitions

In the U.S., Maersk acquired Visible Supply Chain Management, a business-to-consumer (B2C) logistics company specializing in parcel delivery and fulfillment services. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, this acquisition, valued at $868 million, was geared toward enhancing Maersk’s presence in the U.S. ecommerce market, the company said. At the time, Visible SCM operated nine fulfillment centers, handling 200,000 orders daily and moving 200 million parcels annually through its advanced technology infrastructure.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Maersk acquired B2C Europe Holding B.V. (B2C Europe), a logistics company focused on B2C parcel delivery services. Based in the Netherlands, the acquisition was valued at $86 million. Maersk views B2C Europe as a strategic asset for expanding its services across Western Europe.

When acquisitions occurred, Maersk highlighted that evolving consumer buying habits and the rise of digital platforms were fueling global growth in ecommerce, prompting many of its customers to adopt digital-first strategies. These acquisitions will enable Maersk to support the increasing demand for efficient business-to-consumer supply chain solutions, the company said.

“The acquisitions will provide Maersk with a strong growth platform in the rapidly evolving field of ecommerce, where our investments in digitalization and integration will create significant synergies and make a big difference for customers’ ability to sell across multiple channels effectively,” said Vincent Clerc, now CEO of Maersk, who was then CEO of Maersk Ocean & Logistics. “Furthermore, they will allow us to have a more comprehensive offering towards small and medium-sized customers.”

With these moves, Maersk positioned itself as a key player in both U.S. and European ecommerce logistics, leveraging its expertise in digital innovation and integration, the company said.

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