IDS: brands it owns and its ownership tree
IDS is a privately held company headquartered in the United Kingdom that owns 3 consumer brands.[1]
International Distribution Services is the parent company of Royal Mail and GLS. Its history page says it was acquired in 2025 by EP Group, an investment group led by Daniel Kretinsky, who is shown as chair of the board, and its investor page says the materials date from when the company was publicly listed. Its results for the year to 29 March 2026 report group revenue of 13.6 billion pounds, of which Royal Mail was 8.4 billion and GLS 5.2 billion; the stake EP Group holds is not stated in the pages opened.
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Company facts
- Legal name
- International Distribution Services (also IDS, Royal Mail Group)
- Type
- privately held company · see all privately held company owners
- Headquarters
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Website
- www.royalmailgroup.com
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
IDS in numbers
- IDS owns 3 consumer brands tracked here across 1 top-level categories; the largest is travel & transport with 3 brands.[1]
- 1 of its brands originated outside United Kingdom.
Everything IDS owns
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Full-screen interactive tree →
Brand portfolio by category
Recent changes to this record
Frequently asked questions
What brands does IDS own?
IDS owns 3 consumer brands tracked here, including GLS, Parcelforce Worldwide and Royal Mail.
Is IDS a British company?
Yes. IDS is headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Who owns IDS?
IDS is privately held. International Distribution Services is the parent company of Royal Mail and GLS.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] International Distribution Services: Our History — International Distribution Services, Official document; retrieved 5 October 2026.
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