Despite – or even because of – five years of upheaval in the form of sharp cost increases, geopolitical turmoil, severe shipping disruptions and more, many FIDI Affiliates’ businesses are in great health. FIDI Focus Editor Dominic Weaver spoke to some of them about how they have adapted, and why technology, premium services and the personal touch are among the must-have ingredients for success
The 2025 FIDI Focus State of the Industry report details some particularly strong headwinds for the international mobility industry. The fifth issue of this annual look at the global trends impacting the business highlights challenges including geopolitical turbulence – fuelled by wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising nationalist sentiment, and more than 70 elections globally during 2024 alone; protectionism, characterised by stricter immigration rules, a scaling back of some international collaboration, and general winding back of globalisation; disruption to supply chains from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, drought impacting the Panama Canal, other weather-related challenges; and rising energy and other costs.
The report also highlighted an ongoing shortage of jobs in key parts of the industry; a trend towards mergers and acquisitions creating larger operators and pressure on smaller businesses; political pushback against sustainability and other ESG initiatives, including the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement; and a worldwide economic slowdown that has seen a decline in volumes of up to 40 per cent for some Affiliates. There are more, too.
The report paints a picture of an industry that, five years on since the start of the pandemic, faces challenges on many fronts – including political, economic, environmental and operational.
However, against this gloomy backdrop, there are stories of optimism and renewal that stand out particularly brightly. Isabelle Harsch, CEO of Swiss Affiliate Harsch, describes how agile thinking, partnerships, attention to cash flow and being proactive about growing its cash-on-delivery business, have helped the company thrive; Fiona Conroy speaks about the role of company culture and transparent working in the recent expansion of Conroy Removals in New Zealand and Australia; while, in China, Allen Lyu, Managing Director of Shanghai-based AMR International Relocation, says ensuring jobs are profitable before taking them on and focusing on customer service and quality have been essential ingredients in helping the firm outperform a local fall in jobs of 15 per cent.
Subsequent upbeat stories and social-media posts – in May this year, for example, Mercovan Argentina International Removals announced that it had carried out the largest number of moves in a single month for the past 15 years – suggest that these instances are not isolated and despite, or perhaps even because of, the challenges there is an increasing number of companies who have adapted, grown stronger, and are flourishing in the difficult trading environment.
Fabio Manuel, founder and CEO of Portuguese Affiliate Invictus – which joined FIDI in 2023 and opened a branch in Madeira in June, and offers an in-house veterinary department as part of its pet moving services – says he believes the moving and relocation sector is at a turning point.
‘From post-COVID uncertainty, rising costs and logistical nightmares, the past few years have been intense, a real test of resilience,’ he says. ‘But it’s also forced us to grow, fast. Our company embraced transparency, invested in our people and doubled down on quality rather than quantity. We learned to say no when it protected our standards and business.’
At Brazil’s One Moving, meanwhile, Wesley Thomé says post-COVID trading has been tough, lurching from recovery in 2022-23 to crises caused by volatility, high costs and labour shortages. With client expectations higher than ever, he says the company looked to adapt fast.
‘We invested heavily in technology and [CRM software] Salesforce transformed our internal processes and customer experience,’ he says. ‘We also grew through acquisitions in Portugal and Chile, and most recently acquired a relocation business in Brazil so we can better serve corporate clients and RMCs.’ He adds that the company prioritised staff training and standardising procedures to get consistency across its markets.
Likening recent unpredictable trading to ‘a treadmill that randomly speeds up, slows down, and occasionally catches fire’, Simon Hood, Managing Director of John Mason International, says the business is, nevertheless, ‘marginally up’ on pre-COVID levels. ‘This feels like a win, when you consider what we’ve all been navigating,’ he says.
The many challenges Hood mentions include unpredictable shipping timetables with rollovers that are so frequent they are almost routine, the impact of US tariff uncertainty, and continual congestion at ports such as London Gateway. But he also cites a dramatic change in the way people find themselves a mover. ‘Website click-through rates have dropped 32 per cent since AI Overview started spitting out answers – that’s a third of your traffic gone,’ he says. ‘People don’t want 100 answers any more, they just want one name they can trust.’
For John Mason, the answer to these has been to invest and evolve, says Hood. ‘We looked after our people, kept a strong culture, and put our money where it counts: into people, property, tech, and systems.’ Rather than dropping prices and making cuts, he says, the company has invested in virtual surveys, digital documentation, and good internal communication, all of which has increased agility, while a property portfolio has given the company more control over its storage capacity and overheads.
Meanwhile, he says, keeping customers engaged and informed has been essential. ‘We’ve kept communication sharp and transparent, so customers know what’s going on, even when things beyond our control shift,’ he says. ‘This level of honesty goes a long way.’
At Invictus, Manuel agrees, saying companies who can foster trust are in pole position. ‘Customers are more anxious and movers are under pressure to deliver perfection in imperfect conditions,’ he says. ‘This is why we have built stronger communication systems and kept a human face on everything we do, especially in high-touch services including moving, relocation and pet relocation.’
Demand for ‘meaningful service’ and hands-on care is rising, says Manuel, with customers looking for brands that have ‘identity, values, and soul’. ‘There is a growing space for movers who aren’t afraid to be personal, precise and professional all at once,’ he says.
The trend of ‘let’s do something big with our lives’ is continuing to fuel moves abroad, says Hood, with savvy clients’ demands for quality service something that ‘plays to Affiliates’ strengths’. ‘There’s a growing appreciation for quality service providers, especially those that can personalise the experience and deliver integrated solutions,’ says Thomé.
He says good opportunities are unfolding in offering high-value niche services, including pet, fine art, and relocation and immigration support, with a significant premium segment opening up, too.
‘High-net-worth clients, professionals and expats with complex moves need proper coordination, white-glove service and a team that understands local laws and logistics,’ says Hood. ‘They’re looking for reliability and peace of mind rather than comparing quotes.’
He adds: ‘We also see opportunities in helping clients think beyond the move, supporting them with storage, customs preparation and long-term relocation planning. It’s a holistic approach that will set companies apart as the market matures.’
Thomé says: ‘There is also potential to form strategic alliances to serve global accounts with local excellence.’
Hood agrees: ‘We’re finally seeing more of the industry working together,’ he says. ‘For years, this industry was a bit fragmented, everyone keeping cards close to their chest. But in the past year, especially, we’ve seen a real shift towards cooperation. Partners, agents and suppliers are talking more, sharing data and trying to manage costs and delays as a group.
‘There are still some dinosaurs clinging to the old “cut price, cut corners” model, creating a worrying race to the bottom on pricing, but if we can resist that and focus on value, service and proper margin protection, there’s a strong future.’
He adds that successful moving is now about being ‘more digital, data-driven and environmentally conscious,’ and that ‘only companies that combine tech, flexibility and empathy will remain relevant’.
‘Five years from now, I believe mobility will be more integrated, tech-enhanced – but with new companies fragmenting the business, too,’ says Manuel. ‘The ones that will thrive are those that build strong networks of trust.
‘Tech will take over the admin and paperwork, but customers won’t accept being fobbed off by bots when their container’s stuck in Dubai. They’ll want answers from people who’ve been through it before,’ says Hood.
‘Companies that can balance automation with actual human care will be those that succeed. Someone who can explain what’s going on when their container ends up in the wrong hemisphere. Someone to say, “Don’t worry, we’ve got this”. That’s the future.’
The 2025 FIDI Focus State of the Industry report can be downloaded from the FIDI Focus website.
A word from FIDI Secretary General Jesse van Sas
Disruption comes in many forms and shapes. It can be competitors with a new way of working, technological advancements, events beyond your control, such as pandemics or legally imposed rules – there is no end to it. Disruption has a negative connotation, but that is really not correct. Disruptors are perfect triggers to change, to adapt to new reality, to do better, even better than the disruptor is doing.
In the past 10 years, relocation services providers have massively seized the opportunity to become more customer-focused, embracing the demographical changes in our client base with millennials and Gen Z’s focusing more on technology, sustainability and quality. At the same time, movers and DSPs are increasingly realising that a race-to-the-bottom on rates and fees cannot be won in the end and will only produce the short end of the stick for the supply chain in relocation. This is leading to a renewed focus on true customer service, proven quality and a financially healthy bottom line.
With that, there is a new pride growing among the movers and DSPs, as a very essential frontline service to not only the corporate or governmental client, or the RMC, but also to the end customer, the family moving their goods and their life to a new foreign location and culture.