Delivering service excellence

Pack & Send, the new retail packaging and shipping business that arrived in the UK last autumn, is now offering its unique collection, packing and freight management service through the company’s maiden store (which opened in Reading at the start of this year) and shortly from new outlets planned for the north-west, south-east and Yorkshire.

The business has an impressive pedigree. Already the category leader in its original market - Australia - the plan is now to grow the brand globally, and the UK is the biggest opportunity yet, with plans for a 240-store network in due course.

Concept
The Pack & Send management team have been working on bringing the concept to this country since 2007, but Mike Ryan, UK chief executive, freely admits that seeing the first outlet open and trading is the point where it all started to feel ‘real’.

“The Reading store is an in-house outlet,” explained Mike Ryan, “which is how we expect up to 25 per cent of all the UK stores to be. The roll-out plan, however, is dependent upon site availability and also on how quickly we approve franchise licenses.” The next store openings will be franchisee managed and the focus is on building a wide footprint as quickly as possible.

The Pack & Send franchise opportunity is one of the most comprehensive and best proven in the market. Firstly, there is the high calibre UK team - the board have a breadth of experience across logistics, retail, travel and marketing - and have undertaken stringent due diligence to ensure there are no hitches or surprises. “We are confident that the Pack & Send proposition is genuinely unique and addresses a gap in the market that the major freight carriers cannot address,” Mike Ryan explains. “The 14 years of success and 100 outlets across Australia and New Zealand are testimony to this, and our research shows that the UK is an even larger opportunity.”

The early experience from the Reading store reinforces this. Sales have been well ahead of plan virtually from day one and margins are also proving even healthier than expected. “It is always satisfying when your research findings and forecasts are proved to be correct,” Mike Ryan reflects, “but the emerging size of this market opportunity is great news for our successful franchise applicants, as much as it is for our planning reputation.”

Philosophy
The business has already seen some remarkable items pass through its packing bays that clearly demonstrate the nature of this multi-billion pound niche market. Although the Pack & Send philosophy is that the company can ‘send anything, anywhere’, UK general manager, Tony Fowles, is quick to point out that this can be a tough challenge, but one that the business always delivers on.

Having already shipped frozen ice-cream bars from the UK to Sydney, rare Jaguar body trim to the States and a 100kg cast-iron clock for refurbishment in Europe, a recent order to collect, pack and ship an antique London Trolley Bus model that had been bought at auction by a European collector epitomises what Pack & Send is all about. This valuable and fragile item needed to be securely packed and delivered to its new owner in the south of Spain. The model was one of only five left in the world, so in addition to its high monetary value, it was an extremely rare example of London’s transport history, dating back nearly 100 years.

“Pack & Send, however, was the perfect choice for this shipment,” Tony Fowles explained. “We collected the Trolley Bus, which was about the same size and weight as a small moped, from the auction house and brought it back to the store for secure packing and preparation for the journey to Spain.

“But it is the attention to detail that really makes our versatile packing and door-to-door delivery service so unique. The model was shrouded in antistatic wrap to protect the internal electrical cabling from static build-up during the journey, then covered in heavy duty bubble wrap and packed in a custom-made carton to complete the inner protection cell.”

The carton was then injected with Pack & Send’s unique foam cushioning, which expanded to create a tough and supportive layer, completely encasing the model, while ultimate external protection was provided by building a bespoke wooden crate around the whole carton.

Not all Pack & Send customers are vintage vehicle collectors though, and the Australian business already has supply contracts with global blue-chips, international shippers and major art and auction houses. Additionally, the resilient expansion of consumer and business commerce over the internet all means that the wider demand for retail packing and delivery services is set to continue to rise.

Pack & Send provide the service that is so obviously the right choice for people who need to transport something they treasure. Whether it is international students sending their books and possessions home, artists getting their work to exhibitions or auctions or travellers who have bought more souvenirs than they can carry, they are all looking for a shipping company that will care as much about their property as they do.

Says Tony Fowles: “If you have a fragile, large, awkward or valuable item for shipping there are very few options available other than investing time and money in personally accompanying the item from door to door - and this is rarely practical or cost-effective. Pack & Send can resolve the issue at a fraction of the cost, and with the care and attention that you would give the goods if you were transporting them yourself.

“We pack any item securely, no matter how large or fragile it is, and we manage the end-to-end transportation in whatever timeframe is required. To some degree we do ‘exactly what it says on the tin’, but with the UK’s largest network of freight services at our disposal, nothing is too hard.”

Personal attention
The high quality service and personal attention that is a key part of the Pack & Send ethos also supports the higher margins and repeat business that is inherent in the proposition. The UK team are very clear that the mix of in-house and franchise outlets ensures that the business has robust systems and highly competitive supplier contracts, while still having total focus on customer satisfaction.

“We are also very conscious of our obligation to ensure that only those candidates who can demonstrate to us that they have the drive, experience and same level of passion for delivery of world-class customer service are considered,” explained Paul Jago, Pack & Send’s head of franchise development. “Our responsibility extends beyond the individual and covers the entire international network. Delivery of brand consistency on a global level requires team players and absolute commitment from everyone.

“We are being very strict on our selection criteria for franchisees. A minimum capital requirement of £100,000 is a key point, but more importantly, we need people who ‘get’ the concept and buy into the ‘no limits’ culture of the business, as well as having an appreciation that every outlet and operator under the brand has an obligation to deliver service excellence.”

For those who can demonstrate the drive, enthusiasm and management talent to progress through the recruitment process though, there are the rich rewards of leading the introduction of a genuinely unique proposition to the UK.

“The granting of a license to operate a Pack & Send store isn’t a guarantee of commercial success,” says Mike Ryan, “but by combining the business system, the power of the Pack & Send brand and a knowledge and expertise of the business with an understanding of, and relationship with, your local business community, it’s not far off.

“We have been stunned by the interest already shown in the proposition and we now have several sites across the north of England and the south-east under active consideration for our next stores. We are very clear on the UK capacity for Pack & Send outlets, however, and have prioritised some key locations for early development. Our next stores will be franchisee run, but potential applicants are also encouraged by our strategic plan to invest in opening around a quarter of the store portfolio as in-house outlets.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to learn more about becoming part of the Pack & Send story in the UK call Mike Ryan, Paul Jago or Tony Fowles on 0118 9584628 or email admin@packsend.co.uk. You can also visit www.packsend.co.uk.

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