Whistl Magazine Winter 2020

Whistl Magazine Winter 2020

Whistl

Winter 2020

magazine

‘How

may I help?’ The changing role of the Contact Centre

LET’S HOPE FOR A PROSPEROUS NEWYEAR SAYS NICKWELLS

ONLINE SHOPPINGTHE NEWNORM DOORDROPS &MAIL SECRETS OF SELLING OVERSEAS BREXIT – BE PREPARED

Wells Said

Online shopping

Amost unexpected and unpredictable year...

With the unprecedented pandemic and successive lockdowns, it’s been a challenging and unpredictable year for the retail sector. Habits and patterns have been constantly disrupted and trends have been difficult to identify and pin down. One thing’s for sure though: online shopping has continued its upward trajectory. ‘the new norm’

64 % say online shopping is the new norm

We’re approching the end of one of themost unexpected and unpredictable years ever. The climate for industry and commerce remains challenging, but let’s hope the corner is about to be turned.

During thefirst lockdown...

36 % increased their online purchases

49 % of over-65’s

As we look forward to 2021, I must once again thank Whistl’s recognised key workers for their commitment to providing essential services to our customers up and down the UK throughout 2020. I’mproud of all that they have achieved in this extraordinary year. 2021 of course brings a new set of circumstances in the form of Brexit. Inevitably there will be some disruption to the UK logistics sector, but the familiar motto says it all: be prepared . See page 10 for guidance on how you can do that. Here at Whistl we continue tomake plans for, and invest in, our future. The boom in online retail has created demand for our Fulfilment Services, and we have added 450,000 sq ft of warehousing with a new site in Northampton and expansion at Rushden. Just completing as I write this – you heard it here first – is our

acquisition of highly-regarded Clientbase Fulfilment. We’re delighted to welcome this Devon-based operation into the Whistl family. Very shortly, too, we will be strengthening our presence in Bristol, with a new, bigger depot for parcel andmail handling. On the subject of mail, I’m thrilled that after a rigorous tendering process, NatWest Group appointedWhistl to handle their mail – see below. Finally, i’d like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and, more importantly, a prosperous New Year. Thank you for choosing to work withWhistl, and we look forward to helping you throughout 2021 and beyond.

increased their online shopping frequency

Approaching Christmas...

36 % said theywould be spendingmore online this Christmas than last

44 % of all fashion sales this Christmaswil be online

29 % of all giftswill be purchased online

NickWells , Chief Executive, Whistl

NATWEST NOW BANKING ONWHISTL

“The retail landscape in the UK is changing, driven by a longer- term trend to shop online accelerated this year by the pandemic”, commented Melanie Darvall, Director of Marketing & Communications forWhistl. “It is particularly interesting that the over-65’s are increasingly embracing online shopping, and I am sure retailers who target this demographic have taken note. AtWhistl, we offer retailers scalable and flexible fulfilment solutions – we are experienced at working with existing multi- channel retailers, and also those looking tomigrate to an online model”.

Whistl is delighted to have been chosen by NatWest to handle mail across the Group, including RBS, Ulster Bank and Coutts. It’s a substantial win, with an expected 185 million items of NatWest mail to be collected and processed each year. That will be a mix of pre-sorted and unsorted mail, ranging from monthly statements to customer promotions. NatWest was particularly impressed by the proactive

approach to account management demonstrated by Whistl, focused on innovation and optimisation of processes. ‘Whistl went live with us in early November, and the implementation and transition was seamless’, commented Allan Salvona, Service Delivery Manager, Document Services at NatWest.’ We are looking forward to reaping the benefits of the efficiencies our newpostal partnershipwill bring.’

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2020

It’s been a year like no other, but in this Covid-disrupted world, two of our core activities – Doordrops and Mail – have reaffirmed both their importance and effectiveness.

A record 96% of all mail was engagedwith during lockdown. The biggest rise in engagementwas amongst 18-34 year olds. The average mail itemwas interactedwith 4.5 times. Digital marketers take note – therewas a 70% year-on-year increase in online traffic driven bymail. 72% of people thought mail was the rightway for the government to communicate.

Doordrops deliver during lockdown…

Mail is enhancing its effectiveness as patterns ofworking and living have shifted during 2020. Remote working – mainly from home – is part of the new normal, and physical mail is an important part of that landscape. Recent research reveals the extent to which mail is anticipated, revisited, shared, trusted, retained and acted upon – now, more than ever. “Print had near universal reach during lockdown, which no other medium can match especially for the older demographic who are less digitally connected. It is really encouraging to see that the greatest rises in engagement came from the 18 to 34 age group which should give marketers something to think about when looking at the best ways to engage with them.” commented Melanie Davall, Whistl Director of Marketing & Communications. …whilst Mail matters more than ever

The ‘stay home’ message has had a significant impact on the latest statistics for doordrops (see panel). This >Page 1 Page 2-3 Page 4-5 Page 6-7 Page 8-9 Page 10-11 Page 12

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