Rhenus Tightens Grip on Iberian Last Mile With Full Totalmédia Buyout as Home Delivery Stakes Surge

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Rhenus Group has moved to full ownership of Grupo Totalmédia, completing the acquisition of the remaining shares effective 1 February 2026. The deal closes a transition that began with an initial stake purchase in early 2023 and accelerated with the company’s rebrand to Rhenus Logistics in February 2025.

For industry observers, the final buyout answers a question that had lingered since the first investment. Would Rhenus stop at partnership level or go all in on Portugal’s home delivery segment? Full ownership removes any ambiguity and places the German logistics provider firmly in control of strategy, integration, and capital deployment in the market.

Founded in 1998, Totalmédia built its reputation handling large and bulky home deliveries across Portugal and Spain. That niche focus has become increasingly valuable as e commerce players push deeper into furniture, appliances, and oversized consumer goods, cargo that demands specialist handling rather than parcel networks.

The Portuguese operation now plugs into a wider Rhenus Home Delivery network spanning fourteen European countries and managing around seven million shipments annually. Scale matters in this segment. Cross border retail flows, returns management, and installation services all depend on synchronized platforms and standardized service levels.

Portugal’s national footprint strengthens that system. The integration also brings access to Rhenus’ investment capacity in digital tools, route optimization, and sustainability programs that smaller domestic operators often struggle to finance alone.

Full ownership has also unlocked structural change. Home Delivery and Road Logistics activities are now unified under the newly formed Rhenus Overland Portugal division.

The combined setup includes sixteen operational platforms across the country. Ten are directly managed by Rhenus while six operate through subcontracted partnerships. The division employs more than 400 staff and works alongside over 1,000 logistics partners.

Operational output is already significant. The network handles more than 3.5 million shipments each year and manages over 24,000 square meters of warehousing capacity. Bringing first mile linehaul and last mile functions into one structure allows tighter planning and fewer handoffs, a shift many shippers have been demanding as delivery windows shrink.

Frederico Beck, Managing Director of Rhenus Overland Portugal, framed the acquisition as a structural milestone rather than a financial one. He noted that full ownership enables clearer strategic direction and deeper alignment between home delivery and road freight operations while reinforcing long term commitment to the Portuguese market.

For customers, the practical impact sits in bundled services. Integrated warehousing, transport, and final delivery are now managed within one operational framework, designed to scale alongside retail and infrastructure demand.