Blue Yonder to acquire Doddle

LONDON and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Oct. 12, 2023 – Blue Yonder, a leading supply chain solutions provider, today announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Doddle, a leading first and last mile technology business that was co- founded by Tim Robinson and Sir Lloyd Dorfman. Once completed, the deal will allow Blue Yonder’s already robust suite of supply chain management and commerce offerings to expand with full-circle expertise encompassing final mile, returns management and reverse logistics solutions.

With Doddle’s capabilities, Blue Yonder will be able to offer retailers and logistics service providers such as carriers not only a transformed yet simplified experience for their own customers, but also enhanced growth potential as they look to strengthen their businesses and build more sustainable supply chains. In addition, Doddle’s self-service return kiosks and pick-up, drop-off (PUDO) networks offer retail and logistics businesses an efficient, much-needed solution to today’s returns management challenges.

“Doddle has achieved what so few other companies have been able to accomplish: it has cracked the code of first- and last-mile together with omni-channel returns,” said Duncan Angove, CEO, Blue Yonder. “The beauty of Doddle’s solution is that they solve the returns problem end-to-end. From returns initiation, to returns rules, from in-store returns processing to self-service kiosks, right through to warehouse returns handling and back into stock. The proliferation of e-commerce — and, therefore, returns — has placed increased pressure on carriers, muddied the waters of inventory management, and created frustrations for shoppers. Doddle’s capabilities unlock a differentiated, superior customer experience and will help us to further our mission to transform the supply chain.”

With Doddle, Blue Yonder will be the only company with a comprehensive suite from planning and execution to fulfillment and returns to build more sustainable and profitable, end-to-end supply chains. At close, Blue Yonder’s WMS, OMS, and TMS customers, including retailers, logistics service providers, and postal carriers, will be provided with the potential for growth in both scale and cost reduction, with a full-circle logistics experience. Doddle extends Blue Yonder offerings to fully orchestrate the network from customer engagement to stores, fulfillment centers, and logistics, completing the ecosystem needed to support reverse logistics, shipment consolidations, and inventory circularity. 

“Today over 900 retailers and logistics providers worldwide work with Doddle to help manage the growing challenges in the first and last mile,” said Tim Robinson, founder and CEO, Doddle. “We knew, however, that in order to find the perfect solution to meet these challenges we needed to integrate our offerings with a strong supply chain planning, orchestration and execution solutions provider. Blue Yonder’s scale and deep expertise is the perfect alliance, and we’re looking forward to helping more businesses tackle these challenges – together.”

Read the full press release here.

Who is Blue Yonder?  

Blue Yonder supports some of the biggest companies in the world as they modernize their supply chain and commerce operations using the cloud, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Built with the intent to fulfill consumer demand with immediacy, personalization, and convenience, Blue Yonder’s supply chain solutions orchestrate and optimize inventory, orders, logistics, fulfillment, and resources from end-to-end in real-time while creating amazing consumer experiences. With Blue Yonder, products and services are delivered to consumers when, how, and where they want it. 

Why is Blue Yonder acquiring Doddle?

Blue Yonder is acquiring Doddle to enhance their first and last mile capabilities, particularly in regard to returns management. With Doddle’s technology and expertise, Blue Yonder will be able to offer a complete end-to-end returns management system (RMS) alongside its existing Order Management, Transport Management and Warehouse Management solutions.

What does Doddle bring to Blue Yonder?

Doddle has a dedicated team of experts in first and last mile logistics, and has developed a suite of technologies that has proven successful in serving retailers and logistics operators at scale around the world, helping to manage their delivery and returns while reducing costs, emissions, and waste.

What does Blue Yonder bring to Doddle? 

Blue Yonder is a world leader in supply chain management, offering the world’s best retailers, manufacturers and logistics businesses a seamless commerce experience through AI and ML, which allow customers to predict, plan and fulfil demand through a modern, responsive and synchronized supply chain. With over 35 years of expertise, intelligence and data science, Blue Yonder works with more than 3,000 businesses globally to create more autonomous, sustainable and profitable operations.

When will the transaction close?  

Blue Yonder and Doddle signed the agreement on Oct. 9. The close is scheduled for Q4 2023. Until the deal closes, we remain independent companies while the parties deal with some closing formalities. 

What is the strategy behind the acquisition?  

The costs associated with the first and last mile of ecommerce are increasingly becoming a focal point in ecommerce supply chains as ecommerce growth slows and unit economics come under increasing scrutiny.

Doddle’s technology products and expertise in these critical areas will enhance Blue Yonder’s portfolio, extending its comprehensive suite of existing supply chain capabilities. Doddle’s returns platform will enable Blue Yonder’s customers to take a more sustainable and profitable approach to one of the biggest challenges in ecommerce. In addition, Doddle’s self-service return kiosks, pickup & drop-off (PUDO) networks and last-mile delivery technologies offer retail and logistics businesses efficient, much-needed solutions to today’s logistics challenges.  

Through planning, engagement, resourcing, fulfilment, and logistics, Blue Yonder is helping to build more sustainable and profitable end-to-end supply chains. This deal is indicative of Blue Yonder’s momentum in the supply chain management space and will allow the company to continue to showcase its strength in the retail and logistics industries. Doddle’s capabilities unlock a differentiated, superior consumer experience and will help further the mission to transform the supply chain.