Fastway Couriers Ends Irish Operations – What Retailers Must Do Now to Protect Their Returns, Reputation, & Cash Flow

What’s happened to the Irish carrier Fastway Couriers?

Fastway Couriers Ireland (part of Nuvion Group) has entered receivership and ceased trading with immediate effect as of 28 October 2025.

The receivers, Mark Degnan and Brendan O’Reilly of Interpath Advisory, have confirmed there will be no further deliveries via Fastway Ireland.
Up to 50,000 parcels are reportedly being returned from Fastway’s network of depots to the original senders.
The collapse has come at a very sensitive time – just before peak season (Black Friday / Christmas) – prompting real concern for retailers.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) has warned of “significant financial losses” for firms that used Fastway for deliveries and returns.

Why Retailers Need to Act Urgently

This isn’t simply a logistics hiccup – the Fastway shutdown has potentially serious downstream effects:

Goods could be stranded. With tens of thousands of parcels being routed back to senders, retailers risk losing track of stock. These are goods you paid to ship; if you don’t reclaim them quickly, you might face inventory losses, especially for high-value or perishables.
Refunds may be delayed. Customers will likely request refunds if their orders don’t arrive. If you don’t get the returned items back swiftly, you may not be able to process refunds – and that creates a cash-flow squeeze.
Customer service burden spikes. Expect a surge in calls and complaints: late or missing deliveries, uncertainty about returns, refund questions. Without a clear communications plan, your support teams could be overwhelmed.
Risk to customer loyalty. Poor return experiences damage trust. Even beyond refunds, the stress of missing or delayed parcels at this critical shopping season can make customers walk away – perhaps for good.
Peak-season volume compounds the risk. During the run-up to Christmas, returns typically surge. A disruption of this magnitude during that window can magnify problems: higher volumes, less flexibility, more frustration.
Over-reliance on one carrier is dangerous. This event underlines the risk of depending too heavily on a single courier. When that courier goes under, your operations, customer satisfaction, and costs all take a hit. It’s a warning to diversify.

What Retailers Should Do — Fast

To navigate this crisis, here’s a recommended action plan:

1. Audit your exposure.

Identify how many orders in transit or recently delivered used Fastway.
Specifically flag returns via Fastway (or Parcel Connect / Nūgo, since they are part of Nuvion).
Estimate how much stock might come back, and where.

2. Engage your returns partner.

If you use a returns-management provider (like ZigZag), reach out immediately:

Inform them of your exposure and pass on all information you have on your Irish return volumes and where they need to go.
Ask them to re-route return labels or change drop-off options. For instance, ZigZag already works closely with both An Post and Coll-8 logistics, two fantastic carriers that should minimise the disruption.
Confirm capacity: can they handle a sudden surge in returns volume from Ireland?

3. Activate alternative Irish carriers.

Start or expand relationships with other Irish couriers (or cross-border couriers that operate in Ireland):

Discuss new return-label options, local drop-off points, and pick-up services.
Ensure your logistics/operations team updates return portals, checkout flows, and packaging accordingly.

4. Communicate proactively with customers.

Send an email / site notification explaining the situation (transparently but carefully).
Explain what you are doing to resolve return logistics and potential delays.
Offer reassurance (and, if necessary, compensation or prepaid return alternatives) to maintain trust.

5. Empower your customer service team.

Equip agents with a FAQ document explaining what happened, how you're fixing it, and what customers should expect.
Create a triage system: urgent cases (e.g. high-value items) first, then more routine queries.

6. Monitor return flow and cash flow.

Track how many parcels are coming back, where, and when.
Forecast refund liability vs. cash inflow (from reclaimed inventory) – and model worst-case scenarios.
Work with finance to buffer for potential short-term cash squeeze.

7. Review your courier risk strategy.

Reassess how you select and contract with couriers for both shipping and returns.
Consider diversification: don’t rely on a single provider for returns, especially in key markets.
Negotiate contingency clauses in courier contracts (e.g. in case of insolvency).

Why Swift Action Matters – Business & Customer Impact

Protect your bottom line: By taking control now, you reduce the risk of lost inventory, unclaimed returns, and refund liabilities piling up.
Maintain customer trust: Demonstrating transparency and responsiveness can turn a potential fiasco into a trust-building moment.
Reduce operational stress: With a clear plan, your customer service and operations teams can act proactively – not just react.
Prepare for peak demand: The earlier you switch or scale up your returns infrastructure, the more resilient you’ll be during high-volume return periods.
Build a more robust logistics model: This is a wake-up call – having only one carrier, especially for returns, is a serious vulnerability.

In Summary

The collapse of Fastway Couriers in Ireland is more than just a disruption: it’s a stress test for your returns operations, customer communication, and logistics resilience. For retailers, the stakes are high — especially right before peak season. But with decisive, coordinated action, you can minimise risk, maintain customer satisfaction, and even emerge stronger by building a more diversified and robust returns infrastructure.

Book a demo with ZigZag

There’s no time like the present. If you are effected by Fastways news, get in touch with returns experts like ZigZag that can have you up and running with new carriers in a number of days.

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