Whistl Magazine Spring 2019

Whistl Magazine Spring 2019

Whistl magazine Spring 2019

Bright Sparks! Whistl acquires Spark Ecommerce Group

NEWPARTIALLY ADDRESSEDMAIL SERVICE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RESULTS SHOPPINGOVERSEAS MULTI - CARRIER SHIPPINGMADE EASY SKINNYCOFFEECLUB’S PARTNERSHIPWITHWHISTL

NEW DIRECTOR JOINS PARCELHUB

News

NEWPARTIALLY ADDRESSED MAIL SERVICE FOR ADVERTISERS There’s great news for advertisers seeking to send targeted promotional mail that’s GDPR compliant. Our newPartiallyAddressedMail service enablesmarketers to sendhigh- impact directmail tohouseholds rather thannamed individuals using generic titles such as ‘TheOccupier’ or a campaign related title like ‘Holiday Seeker’. The great thing is you can identify potential customers using geo- demographic targeting, a highly accurate profiling technique, that will help improve response rates and return on investment. Plus we’re able to provide post-campaign evaluation so that you can review the value of those householders you’ve reached and refine the audiencemodelling for even better results next time. Mark Davies, Managing Director of Whistl Doordrop Media said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this new service. It means that marketers can rest assured they are GDPR compliant whilst reaping the benefits of a highly effectivemedium that can be integrated targeted households at postcode level, you aremore likely to reach a receptive audience in the comfort of their own home – ideal for driving prospective customers to buy online, in-store or donate to charity. “Anyone that uses our Premier 70 Advertising with the Mailmark service qualifies for the new Partially Addressed Mail service. It can be used for both letter and large letter mailings, just a Partially Addressed declarationmust be included on themailpiece” with other marketing channels. “By delivering your message to

We’re delighted to announce that at the end of 2018, Whistl acquired the Spark Ecommerce Group a fulfilment, contact centre and ecommerce services provider based in Gateshead. It’s our second acquisition in the fulfilment sector which will enable us to strengthen our offering tomulti-channel retailers and grow our parcel, fulfilment and international services. The Spark Ecommerce Group, managed by Directors Peter Slee and Noel Lambert, includes Spark Response, provider of contact centre and fulfilment services and Spark Etail which acts as an online retailer of ethical products for brands including ethicalsuperstore.com, Natural Collection, Frank & Faith and Spirit of Nature. Spark Response are recognised for their award-winning contact centre and highly efficient fulfilment services, an operation which helped the Group reach a £15million turnover in 2018. Staffed with over 200 employees, the 20-year old company boasts some of the UK’s leading brands as its clients, including WW (formerly Weight Watchers), FitFlop, Micro Scooters, Shark Ninja and PGA European Tour. NickWells, Whistl CEO said: “We are looking forward to integrating the Spark EcommerceGroup into theWhistl family as part of our strategy to growour business in the parcel, fulfilment and international arenas. Spark brings great people, great brands and a shared philosophy of providing outstanding customer services to clients. This is a great time to become part of theWhistl family.” Peter Slee, Managing Director of Spark Ecommerce Group added: “We have a great teamhere at Spark and we have been looking for a partner who can take us to the next level, yet retain our entrepreneurial, customer focused approach to doing business. I look forward to working with Nick and his team to integrate our company intoWhistl Fulfilment.” Whistl acquires Spark Ecommerce Group

Wells Said I’mdelighted to see that 80% of you were satisfied or very satisfied with our service last year. It’s really important to us to know whether we’re living up to your expectations and where we need tomake improvements. Thanks for taking part in the survey, we really appreciate the feedback. By continually investing in our infrastructure, growing our services, technology and talent, we always aim to please. Our acquisition of Spark Ecommerce Group late last year will help strengthen our position in the fast-growing fulfilment sector and give multi-channel retailers the support they need to deliver great customer service. We’re also delighted to welcome James Hayes to theWhistl family. James has been appointed our new Director of Business Development at Parcelhub – the delivery management specialist we acquired last year – and will be responsible for developing strategic partnerships in this area. It’s certainly exciting times for us and the future looks bright as we evolve and expand further into the ecommerce fulfilment arena. We are also developing our International offering, withmore news on this soon. Busy times ahead! Keep up to date with all our latest developments @whistluknews.

Spark Ecommerce Group Directors, Noel Lambert and Peter Slee

NickWells Chief Executive Whistl

For more information about our Partially Addressed Mail service email [email protected]

If you are interested in finding out how your business could benefit fromSpark Response’s contact centre or order fulfilment services email [email protected] or call 0191 495 9999.

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News

The results are in! We’re delighted to see that 80% of our customers are satisfied or very satisfied with our service. It’s really important to us to hear how we’re doing, whether we’remeeting your expectations and to find out where we need to improve, so thanks for taking part! Here’s how you rated us.

Leafletdrop proves a success integrated digital and print marketing campaign targeting potential new

We’re pleased to say that over 4million items were processed throughWhistl Doordrop Media’s online leafleting tool, Leafletdrop during its first year. Leafletdrop was specially developed to give SMEs a quick, easy and economical way of organising their own local leaflet campaigns online. Since its launch in January 2018 the online marketing tool has attracted businesses from a wide variety of sectors, all seeking to drive sales and get their message into the homes and hands of new customers. There have been a number of success stories. Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire used Leafletdrop to generate 160 new memberships for their luxury spa. Digital agency WebBox introduced Leafletdrop to one of its clients who ran a successful

over 4million items through Leafletdrop – that’s 100% of last year’s total volume – so we’re looking forward to celebrating another successful year.” For more information

customers. Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home issued 100,000 leaflet drops for its 2018 Christmas appeal, generating thousands of pounds for the charity. Mark Davies, Managing Director of Whistl Doordrop Media said: “Leafletdrop is already helping businesses spread their message effortlessly and I’mdelighted that we have processed 4million items in our first year. We have proven that giving businesses control of localised leaflet

about Leafletdrop, email [email protected] or visit www.idoordrop.com

Our Promise

79% were satisfied with the timing of collections

75% were satisfied with quality of customer services

campaigns, backed by the expertise of Whistl, brings benefits to their bottom line. “I’mpleased to see that take-up has continued into 2019. We’ve processed

69% of customers agreedwe provide a reliable, dependable, quality service

80% of our customers are satisfied or very satisfied

70% of customers agreed it’s easy to use and reach us when they need to

80% were satisfiedwith the quality ofmain account management

“Leafletdrop has saved us lots of time, money and effort. The tool is easy to use and we enjoy being able to have the control to decide the audience and where we drop to.”  MembershipManager, Hoar Cross Hall

82% were satisfied with ease of use

“ We save time andmoney by creating our own campaigns online and leave everything else to the Leafletdrop team, meaning we havemore time to focus on our clients.” Digital Marketing Manager, WebBox

“I relied onWhistl to keepme updated on how the process was going. They kept everything on time and delivered over 100,000mailings for us.” Account Executive, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

61% of customers agreed we see things from their perspective and do the right thing for their business

81%

New Post at Parcelhub

69% were satisfied with our value for money

78% of customers agreed we are friendly and helpful and have a can-do attitude

were satisfied with sustained quality of service

We’re pleased to announce that in November 2018 we appointed James Hayes as the Director of Business Development at Parcelhub, our newly acquired ecommerce and fulfilment specialist. James brings extensive ecommerce expertise fromParcel Station, the delivery management company that he co-founded in2010, and fromhis role at leading parcel delivery company TNT. James said: “It’s a great time to join Parcelhub now that it’s part of Whistl. They are on an ambitious growth and development curve both

in the UK and internationally and I’mexcited to be able to help this succeed.” Nick Wells, CEO of Whistl added: “We’re delighted to bring James into the team as part of our ongoing investment in the Parcelhub business and are committed to expanding its service portfolio across the UK.”

“Ourmail gets deliveredon timewith minimal impact to internal stakeholders, feedback from ourmailing house suppliers is positive.”

“Our Account Director keeps us up to date with the changes in the market and Royal Mail initiatives.”

“ Willing to work alongside us to achieve a great level of service. More adaptable and commercial than other partners. All still at a great price.”

72% of customers agreed we are straightforward, open and honest Respondents as a % of those who scored from 8-10 on a 10 point scale from 1 (completely disagree) to 10 (completely agree).

For more information about Parcelhub email [email protected] or visit www.parcelhub.co.uk

DebMallen Homeserve PLC

Trevor James Tesco Stores Limited

SamVesey

Music Magpie

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News Fulfilment

Industry Research

Shopping

TOP TIPS FOR MANAGING RETURNS Therearehugeopportunities for online retailers to increase sales and improvecustomer satisfactionbymaking the returnsprocessquickandeasy. Hereare some top tipsonhow to reduce returns, improve the shoppingexperienceandkeepcustomers comingback for more. Give clear instructions Be clear in your returns policy how

overseas

Consumers in the UK love to shop online at overseas ecommerce websites. According to our survey of over 2,000 Brits, 34% said they regularly buy products from international websites with 15% of them saying they buy items on a weekly basis. Here’s what we found out about their shopping habits and who’s spending their money on purchases abroad.

Help customers buy the right product One of the best ways to reduce returns in the first place is tomake sure your product descriptions are as accurate as possible. Be clear about the fit, size andmaterial and ensure the photo is representative of the real thing. Showing customer reviews can also be a useful guide in helping shoppers choose the right item and boosting sales of popular items. Make your policy accessible Most shoppers will review a retailer’s returns policy before making a purchase so it’s important tomake it clear what your policy is and how tomake a return. Also, make your returns policy easily accessible from key points in the customer journey - on the product page, at the checkout, on the footer of your website’s menu or via email on the order confirmation.

customers can make a return, where they need to send it to and the deadlines for doing so in the order confirmation emails and packing slip. Make it quick and easy Include a pre-printed returns label or create an online system that can be used to generate returns so that customers don’t need to worry about finding their receipt. It’s quicker and easier for shoppers to enter their return details online and if you include a unique reference numberandbarcodewith every order, itmakes it easierforcustomers to knowwhen theirreturns havebeen received and processed for complete visibility. Check orders before delivery Some returns simply shouldn’t happen. That’s because the wrong item has been sent or the goods have been damaged, either in the warehouse or in transit. Make sure you double check every order before it is

Moremenwant to get their hands on a product before it’s released in the UK

20% said low-cost or free delivery is one of the things they look out for Price and free delivery are the most influential factors when shopping overseas

Moremen shop overseas, with over a third making a purchase at least once amonth

sent and ensure you use packaging that protects the item in transit. Packaging speaks volumes about a brand and you should show customers that you spent time carefully packing their itemwith a little bit ofTLC. Gather information Asking why customers are returning an item will ultimately help you reduce returns. By creating an online systemor including a return slip in the parcel asking why the item is being returned, you’ll be able to identify and rectify any design faults, quality or sizing issues with your suppliers. Deliver on timewith tracking Customer satisfaction plays a major role in the reason for product returns. Delivering customer orders on time with tracking capabilities will help you build a loyal customer base, drive more repeat business and strengthen your brand reputation. Of course, you can always outsource your entire returns service to a specialist like Whistl Fulfilment. We have the expertise to handle all your fulfilment needs from warehousing and pick and pack, to returns and customer servicemanagement, reducing the administrative burden and removing all the hassle of finding extra staff and storage space. Just email [email protected] to find out more or visit www.whistl.co.uk/fulfilment

19% Men 8% Women

79% Men

66% Women

55% said price is themost important

BRITS LOVE TO SHOP WITH CHINESE RETAILERS

Millennials aremore tech-savvy when it comes to buying online

Foreign is fashionable

One in ten 25-34 year-olds shopwith an overseas retailer every day

30% of Brits like to get their fashion fix from other countries

43% of UK consumers regularly shop on Chinese websites

21% of shoppers said they are wary of buying frombrands they don’t recognise

31% ofwomen are unwilling towait longer for delivery

Unfamiliar brands and longer delivery times put people off

If you’d like more information on our range of international fulfilment and delivery services email [email protected] or visit www.whistl.co.uk/international

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Customer Focus

Multi-carrier shipping made easy

Last year Whistl acquired Parcelhub, the multi-carrier delivery management and ecommerce tracking support specialists. Here we catch up with one of its customers Charles Bentley, a global manufacturer and supplier of home, garden and leisure products, and dropshipper for some of the UK’s biggest retailers. We talk to Andrew Steel, the company’s Ecommerce Director to find out how Parcelhub has helped support their international expansion with smart, integrated technology specially developed for its carrier management and customer service operation.

  Whywere you looking to change theway youmanage distribution? Our business is growing rapidly. We stock over 3,000 products and ship over 250,000 parcels to 31 countries, so we were looking for a more efficient delivery management solution that is flexible and integrates with the systems we use.  How has Parcelhub’s deliverymanagement software helped improve your delivery operation? We ship products ranging from 100 grams to 1,000 kg which include anything from small envelopes to bulk shipments on pallets as well as ‘leave safe’ and delivered-with-a-signature consignments. Most items are despatched on one of Parcelhub’s direct carrier contracts but Parcelhub’s software also gives us the flexibility to use our own courier contracts.  And how do youmanage customer service across all the carriers and sales channels you use? Parcelhub’s Tracking Support team takes full ownership of delivery queries and has developed a customer support IT infrastructure that integrates seamlessly with our customer experience management platform. Their SMART Notifications platformprovides proactive tracking of all our shipments fromorder placement to query resolution. The real advantage is that Parcelhub’s Tracking Support team can quickly identify any issues and view all communications with customers and carriers in one place, in real time. That means we have complete visibility across all our 30-plus sales channels and can easily check whether Parcelhub are keeping our customers happy andmeeting agreed service levels.  So how has your business benefited frompartnering with Parcelhub? We would have to employ at least three additional customer service advisers tomanage the different carriers we use. That’s a big cost saving to a business like ours. We really do see Parcelhub as an extension of our own business, and we have spent the last three years further integrating Parcelhub’s customer service solutions with our own operation to strengthen our offering. In fact, Parcelhub is saving us over £40,000 a year on customer service, software development andmanaging carrier relationships. We enjoy a very collaborative partnership and are constantly looking to build upon the efficiencies we’ve alreadymade with new technologies. For more information about Parcelhub’s range of delivery management, tracking support and fulfilment solutions visit www.parcelhub.co.uk or call 01159 503 018.

BOX CLEVER AndrewSteel Ecommerce Director Charles Bentley Managing Director Naomi Bentley Director James Bentley Director

Charles Bentley stock over 3,000 products and ship to 31 countries

WilliamBentley General Manager

Parcelhub is saving us over £40,000 a year on customer service, software development and managing carrier relationships.

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Customer Focus

The perks of the partnership The Skinny Coffee Club is a weight loss programme developed for women who love coffee. Now sold in 150 countries around the world, the drink contains the highest quality natural ingredients and has built up a diehard following on social media of customers who say they’ve improved their health and lifestyle as a result of their products. Here we talk to its Chairwoman, KatieWheeler to find out a littlemore about its success.

We’re here to help you grow your business by taking care of anything and everything in the broad delivery management category. Any other business?

What’s the best piece of advice you can give to other entrepreneurs? Never make the same mistake twice and be brutally honest. What three things aremost important to youwhen selecting suppliers?

Tell us a bit about Skinny Coffee Club We’re an ecommerce business with a social focus centred around helping women achieve a healthier life through products that fit seamlessly into their daily routines.

Integrated solutions for multi-channel retailers from strategically located sites throughout the UK.

• Fulfilment & warehousing • Inventory management

• Logistics management • Customer services

What’s the secret behind your success?

1. They move fast 2. Are great value 3. And are great communicators

Besides a really great product that works, our success is thanks to the wealth of great reviews left by our customers on social media. We have an army of customers that vouch for us on a daily basis through their personal social media channels. That’s our secret sauce! Who or what has been your biggest influence? I don’t think there’s any one company that has influencedme. I’m inspired by all sorts of businesses nomatter what the industry, however I do have a personal huge appreciation for companies like InstaSmile who create new possibilities within the ecommerce space. Where have you seen the biggest growth in your business? International expansion has been a major area of growth for us. We’re now selling in over 150 countries which is a great stepping stone to a whole host of new opportunities.

An innovative range of economic and efficient services from the UK’s second biggest postal company.

Why did you chooseWhistl tomanage your deliveries? The Whistl team are super-friendly and they went above and beyond to help us meet our business requirements. What improvements have you seen as a result of partnering withWhistl? Customer satisfaction has increased thanks to parcels arriving on time and as expected. We’ve seen a significant reduction in international complaints which have dropped by almost 40%, and the efficiency of our order processing has improved thanks to better integration with our order management software, Linnworks. Better still, we’ve seen a reduction in costs which we’ve passed on to customers through free delivery. As a result we’ve seen an improvement in converting sales online, so it’s an all round win-win.

Global reach for mail and parcels through a network of leading partners worldwide.

• Pre-sorted mail • Unsorted mail

• International mail • Hybrid mail

• Sorted & unsorted mail worldwide • Tracked & untracked parcels worldwide

Domestic and International parcel delivery offering choice and flexibility in the ecommerce sector.

End-to-end management of doordrop campaigns using analytical insights to target the households you most want to reach, helping your marketing budget go further. Also, online Leafletdrop for SME’s to manage their own campaigns.

• Tracked next day, 2 & 3 day services • Untracked 2/3 day services • International services

TO FIND OUT MORE Existing customers contact your account manager New customers call us on 01628 861503 email [email protected] visit www.whistl.co.uk

We hope you enjoy reading Whistl Magazine. News or views that you’d like us to feature in future editions? Just get in touch! email [email protected] write Rina Maisuria, Whistl UK Ltd, Meridian House,

Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1TB

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Returnaddress:Whistl UKLtd, Meridian House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1TB

Reach customers worldwide with Whistl The world comes shopping on UK e-commerce sites. If you’re looking to generate more cross-border trade, Whistl can help. Not just with all the delivery options you and your international customers want, but expert support on customs, duty and stuff like that. In short, we put the world within reach.

Call 01628 861503 e-mail [email protected] visit www.whistl.co.uk/worldwithinreach