15 February 2022

Collect+ applauds retailers for 'best ever' Christmas in 2021

Parcel volumes up 11.3% and customer experience at all time high

Collect+, part of the PayPoint Group, has today recognised the huge efforts of its retailer partners in delivering record parcel volumes and a fantastic customer experience in its busiest ever Christmas in 2021.

In November and December 2021, overall parcel volumes were up 11.3% vs 2020, with over 6.5 million packages handled through the extensive Collect+ network of over 10,000 stores, in spite of additional Covid-19 restrictions. The in-store customer experience delivered by retailer partners improved again year on year, with positive customer reviews and backed up the investment made over the past 12 months in service enhancements and new technology, such as in-store label printers.

New consumer data from Collect+ also shows that its online Christmas shopping behaviour has changed dramatically since 2019. Figures show that purchases and in-store pick-ups in 2021 were more evenly spread over the month of December as more of the UK population worked from home and got ready early, rather than the pre-pandemic 'weekend pinch point' of two years ago where consumers mainly focused their shopping at weekends.

The news comes as Collect+ launches its plans for 2022 to build on this great performance and bring even further value for all its retailer partners. Following a workshop focused on innovation, trends and future opportunities held with all its carrier partners in January, key initiatives are now in motion to drive further excellence including: opening the entire Collect+ network to returns for all carrier partners; expanding 'in-flight diversion' of parcels to convenience stores for more carriers; parcel locker trials to complement the existing network; and new technology to improve the in-store customer and retailer experience.

Nick Williams, Head of Strategic Parcels Partnerships at The PayPoint Group said:

"Our Collect+ service continues to go from strength to strength and I'm incredibly grateful to all of our 10,000 retailer partners in helping us deliver our best ever Christmas. As online shopping continues to grow and consumer behaviour evolves post-Covid, we're committed to continuing to enhance our service to help our retailer partners respond to these trends and deliver vital community services across the UK.

"2022 will be even bigger again, with more developments, more parcels and more opportunities for retailers to benefit from partnering with Collect+ in their stores."

ENDS

Enquiries:

PayPoint plc

Nick Wiles, Chief Executive (Mobile: 07442 968960)                       

Alan Dale, Finance Director (Mobile: 07778 043962)

Steve O'Neill, Corporate Affairs & Marketing Director (Mobile: 07800 716936)                       

Finsbury Glover Hering

0207 251 3801 

Rollo Head

James Thompson

(Email: [email protected])

ABOUT PAYPOINT

For tens of thousands of businesses and millions of consumers, we deliver innovative technology and services that make life a little easier.

The PayPoint Group serves a diverse range of organisations, from SME and convenience retailer partners, to local authorities, multinational service providers and e-commerce brands. Our products are split across three core business divisions:

·      In Shopping, we enhance retailer propositions and customer experiences through EPoS services via PayPoint One, card payment technology, Counter Cash, ATMs and home delivery technology partnerships in over 60,000 SME and retailer partner locations across multiple sectors. Our retail network of over 28,000 convenience stores is larger than all the banks, supermarkets and Post Offices put together

·      In E-commerce, we deliver best-in-class customer journeys through Collect+, a tech-based delivery solution that allows parcels to be sent, picked up and dropped off at thousands of local stores

·      In Payments and Banking, we help companies and their customers make and receive payments quickly and conveniently. This includes our digital payments platform, MultiPay, an eMoney offering that enables cash through to digital transactions and cash solutions providing vital consumer access across our extensive retail network

Together, these solutions enable The PayPoint Group to create long-term value for all stakeholders, including customers, communities and the world we live in.