Deutsche Post DHL Group, the mail and logistics company, plans to invest in a minority stake in Relais Colis, a French ecommerce logistics specialist.

The investment comes in order to enhance access for its DHL divisions and their customers to Europe’s third largest ecommerce market.

With a 27.5-percent stake in Relais Colis, Deutsche Post DHL Group will support the further development of the French ecommerce logistics specialist’s network of pickup points and its customized delivery solutions for end customers. This will allow DHL’s divisions, primarily DHL Parcel, to open up additional channels and expand its offering of value-added logistics services for ecommerce customers to the French market. Relais Colis will also benefit from additional volumes of the Deutsche Post DHL Group’s networks and the knowhow of the innovation leader in the German parcel market.

Relais Colis currently serves a number of top-tier ecommerce players, thanks to its range of specialized solutions, including pickup point deliveries and home deliveries for larger packages. It currently employs 450 people, with a network of three national hubs, 22 branches and 4,800 pickup points.