Following increasing demand from its customers, City Link established a nationwide network of delivery agents to collect parcels from the local station and deliver them to the consignee.

To gain greater market share, Thomas successfully introduced the franchise concept (the first to do so in the UK parcels sector) by encouraging delivery agents to become franchisees and solicit new business from companies in their areas.

In July 1993, it was announced that Rentokil plc had successfully made a hostile bid for Securiguard for £76 million, now City Link’s fourth owner since its conception.

Keen to attain greater market share and hoping to emulate DHL (part of Deutsche Post AG), Rentokil directors went on the acquisition trail.

Exactly one year after Rentokil Initial announced its City Link franchise buyback scheme, it finished negotiations with the shareholders of Target Express to purchase the company on 20 November 2006.

As a part of its merger with Target Express, City Link was planning to close 42 of the 110 combined branches in the first half of 2008, to provide a single integrated network.

The merger of the two units proved problematic, particularly due to depots running different computer systems,[3] damaging profits at parent company Rentokil Initial.

After confirmation that the rescue had failed, Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT union, said: "Pulling the plug on any efforts to save City Link is a disgraceful and cynical betrayal that will wreck the lives of our members, many of whom are owed thousands of pounds".