EBRD and Banca Transilvania support growth of e-commerce delivery services in Romania
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Banca Transilvania lends €25.3 million to Romania’s Delivery Solutions S.A., which operates under the brand Sameday
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Loan to support company’s medium-term investment plans and expand the Sameday easybox delivery locker infrastructure
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EBRD to cover 65 per cent of the transaction credit risk through a risk-sharing agreement with Banca Transilvania
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is facilitating access to finance for Romanian parcel delivery operator Delivery Solutions S.A, which operates under the brand name Sameday, through a risk-sharing facility with Banca Transilvania.
Under the EBRD’s Risk Sharing Framework, Banca Transilvania is lending €25.3 million to Sameday to support its medium-term investment plan. As part of the risk-sharing agreement, the EBRD is assuming 65 per cent of Banca Transilvania’s credit risk on the transaction.
The collaboration underscores the EBRD and Banca Transilvania’s commitment to supporting the growth of Romanian companies, with a particular focus on financing innovative solutions and the digitalisation of services.
Sameday provides full-spectrum 24-hour delivery services, including delivery and returns via easybox, its network of automated parcel lockers. The loan will enable Sameday to expand its locker network across Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, adding more than 2,500 new lockers in urban and rural areas.
Demand for contact-free delivery to Sameday’s easybox lockers has increased recently because of the convenience of automated parcel machines (APMs) and a shift in consumer preferences to delivery services. APMs are often more efficient than home deliveries for both online retailers and consumers, and bulk delivery has a smaller environmental impact. The expansion of Sameday’s locker network will, therefore, enable cheaper and more sustainable e-commerce deliveries across its markets.
Sameday currently operates 4,960 easybox lockers in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. It is among the leading players in this market segment and the first Romanian courier company to expand regionally, having recorded strong growth in recent years. With 16 years of experience in the Romanian market, a team of more than 5,000 employees and partners, and an integrated digital infrastructure, the company is part of Dante International S.A., a leading Romanian e-retailer, which operates the eMAG e-commerce platform, with subsidiaries in Hungary and Bulgaria.
Banca Transilvania is the largest bank in Romania and the main financier of the economy, covering all customer segments and business lines in the financial sector. Founded almost 30 years ago, it has around a 20 per cent market share, 4 million customers, more than 9,000 employees, online banking solutions and 500 branches in 180 locations. Banca Transilvania’s brand value exceeded US$ 500 million and entered the top 300 of the Brand Finance Banking 500 in 2023. Beyond banking, Banca Transilvania wants to have a positive impact on people, businesses and the environment in Romania.
Supporting the growth of the private sector is one of the key priorities of the EBRD’s work in Romania. To date, the Bank has invested more than €10.5 billion through 517 projects across the country. The vast majority of those projects have been in the private sector.