Romanian-owned courier company Sameday is set to leave Hungary, bringing an end to its six-year presence in the country and potentially removing more than 1,000 Easybox parcel lockers from the market. The company confirmed the move after the collapse of its planned sale to Express One.
The withdrawal is expected to affect customers, employees and Hungary’s growing parcel locker sector, where Sameday has been one of the largest operators.
Sale blocked despite competition approval
Earlier this year, Sameday agreed to sell its Hungarian subsidiary, Delivery Solutions Zrt., to Express One, which is owned by Austrian Post. The transaction received approval from Hungary’s competition authority, but it also required foreign direct investment (FDI) clearance under Hungarian regulations.
That approval was ultimately not granted, preventing the deal from being completed, Forbes reported.
In a statement to the Hungarian news agency MTI, Sameday said it had carefully examined all available options before reaching the “difficult decision” to wind down its Hungarian operations in a controlled and responsible manner.
The company declined to comment further on the reasons behind the failed transaction, saying it respected the regulatory process.
More than 1,000 Easybox lockers could vanish
According to industry figures, Hungary had 9,953 parcel lockers in operation during the first quarter of 2026. Of these, 1,096 belonged to Sameday’s Easybox network, meaning roughly one in every ten parcel lockers could disappear from the market.
The removal of the Easybox network would mark a significant setback for a sector that has expanded rapidly in recent years. The total number of parcel lockers in Hungary has almost doubled since 2024.
Under the original acquisition plan, Sameday’s infrastructure, employees, customers and approximately 1,100 parcel lockers would have been transferred to Express One, creating one of Hungary’s largest parcel logistics operators.
Instead, reports suggest the lockers will now be dismantled and transported back to Romania.
Customers often complained about service quality
Although Sameday became a major player in Hungary’s parcel delivery market, the company frequently attracted criticism from customers.
Many users reported delayed deliveries, missing packages and technical issues with parcel lockers. The company’s reputation suffered as complaints about lost packages and malfunctioning lockers became increasingly common.
Financially, the Hungarian operation also struggled. According to publicly available business data cited by G7, the company generated revenue of approximately HUF 8.4 billion (EUR 23.7 million) during its latest financial year but recorded losses of around HUF 6 billion (EUR 16.9 million).
Employees to receive support packages
Sameday said the decision would have a significant impact on its Hungarian workforce and pledged to support affected employees throughout the transition.
The company stated that staff members would receive severance packages exceeding legal minimum requirements, continued benefits during their notice periods and career transition assistance.
At the time the planned sale was announced in January, the company employed around 230 people in Hungary and handled millions of packages every month, including logistics services for the online retailer eMAG.
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Intense competition in Hungary’s parcel market
Hungary’s parcel delivery sector has undergone a huge consolidation in recent years. Foreign-owned companies have become increasingly dominant, particularly after Packeta acquired Foxpost in 2024.
Analysts have suggested that the blocked merger may have been linked to concerns about competition with the state-owned Magyar Posta and its parcel logistics division. Had the deal gone ahead, the combined Express One-Sameday operation would have emerged as a stronger rival in Hungary’s increasingly competitive parcel locker market.
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For a market that has so many diverse players and is genuinely competitive–which is very rare in the late-stage, crony capitalism we have in the developed world–, it is mind-blowing how awful the service is from absolutely ALL of them.
I use deliveries very often and there is not a single one of these providers I’ve not had trouble with. U.P.S. is easily hands-down the worst, but G.L.S., D.H.L., ExpressOne, and the rest of the sorry bunch also suck.
Sad.