2016 Hermes UK Blog Articles

More than 220 enthusiastic pupils from Middlemarch Junior School in Nuneaton braved the wet conditions to learn how to be extra safe when travelling near roads this winter. The children enjoyed a special lesson with two experts from Hermes, the parcel delivery firm, earlier this week.

Mark Rice, Senior Business and Product Development Manager

I’ve noticed recently, that more businesses have gradually started sending me text messages. I can book a doctor’s appointment, taxi or order some new clothes online and I’m guaranteed to receive a text confirmation from that service.

So why have I become accustomed to receiving texts from pretty much everybody? Perhaps it’s because businesses know that, unlike my personal inbox, I read all of my text messages. I’m not alone either. The average person looks at their phone 150 times a day which means that 97.5% of texts are being read within five seconds of being received. With 7 in 10 of the world’s population predicted to be using smartphones by 2020, there’s no denying that mobile is changing the world.

Retailers should prioritise convenience and price on major shopping days such as Black Friday.

Since its origin in 1932, Black Friday has been the main annual consumer event in the United States. The day after Thanksgiving is widely seen as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and the event has taken off across the Atlantic, making it a big business in Britain too.

Carole Woodhead, CEO

This autumn we hosted a breakfast seminar with ASOS, Debenhams, GHD, Unilever, Euroffice Group, Sugru and Tower London in partnership with The Telegraph. We wanted to get everyone’s input on the challenges and opportunities that Black Friday brings and it proved to be a lively and thought-provoking discussion.

Carole Woodhead, CEO

Engaged, self-aware and determined, the growing influence of the Millennial Generation is having a profound effect on how the world works, relaxes, communicates, learns, shops and even falls in love. Hermes CEO, Carole Woodhead, explores the rise of this broad generation and how their behaviours are reshaping the retail landscape.

Wendy Davis, Head of Resourcing

Hermes’ Wendy Davis on why developing up-and-coming talent is crucial to ensure the future prosperity of the logistics sector.

The new series of The Apprentice is under way and, despite the show being in its 12th year, Lord Sugar grilling the applicants still makes fantastic viewing.However, whilst the multimillion-pound tycoon likes to throw his contestants in at the deep end, the wise decision would be to support and nurture your own apprentices and graduates if you want a truly engaged workforce.

Glad tidings we bring to you and your customes...

...guaranteed delviery for Christmas or your money back.*

Send your parcels by 21st December and we promise to get them delivered by Christmas Day or your money back.

Mark Januszewski, CEO of Designer Habitat

Launched in 2009, Designer Habitat is one the fastest growing multichannel lifestyle retailers in the UK.

Based in the heart of Manchester, the business operates across three continents and has carved out a reputation as a leader of quality and innovation through its homeware and kitchenware brands – VonHaus and VonShef. Designer Habitat prides itself on its ability to provide an unrivalled level of customer care and quality through all aspects of the business.

Joanne Morley, Head of Marketing

Hermes’ transport connections are being used to help displaced families and refugees in Syria and Iraq, writes head of marketing Joanne Morley.

In 2015, the amount donated to charity by adults in the UK exceeded a whopping £9.6 billion. With a fantastic 67% of people having given to charity in the past 12 months, I think it is safe to say we are a society of fundraisers. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t see a friend or colleague attempting to get donations by running a half marathon, skydiving or taking part in a gruelling obstacle course.

Joanne Morley, Head of Marketing

Hermes’ head of marketing explains how the delivery firm is improving customer satisfaction levels and enhancing the brand experience.

The level of choice and convenience provided to consumers over recent years has grown remarkably, spurred on by the development of exciting new technologies.

Mike Antwoon, Sales Director

Hermes’ Mike Antwoon on the importance of supporting SMEs across retail and why they’re central to the sector’s ongoing growth.

At the turn of the year there were a whopping 5.4 million private sector businesses in the UK, with SMEs accounting for more than 99% of that figure.

Matt Diner, Marketing Manager

Hermes’ marketing manager Matt Diner on why identifying the specific personality traits of your target audience should be top priority.

Earlier this month I was pleased to read that online sales across the UK for Q1 were up 15% on the same period last year, when growth was up just 8%.

Joanne Morley, Head of Marketing

My colleagues and I have written about a number of exciting developments at Hermes. These include a significant investment in state-of-the-art handheld devices for our couriers, the construction of a new superhub in the Midlands and the launch of our ETA Service, which provides consumers with a time window for deliveries.

Martijn de Lange, Chief Operating Officer, Hermes

The summer of 2016 promises to be a true celebration of sport. All eyes will turn to France in June when a record-breaking number of home nations compete in Euro 2016. Commiserations to our Scottish readers but they will be able to cheer on Andy Murray as he bids for a second Wimbledon crown in July. And if that is not enough, the sporting world will descend upon Rio in August for the Olympic Games, where Usain Bolt is planning to break his own world records.

Martijn de Lange, Chief Operating Officer, Hermes

With just two weeks to go people up and down the UK are making their final preparations ahead of festive season. The turkey is on order, the Champagne is chilling and the final gifts are being purchased. Over the coming days many industries will begin to wind-down for Christmas, but retailers and carriers will continue to operate at full speed until the big day itself.

Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes

Children up and down the country won’t be opening the first door on their advent calendars for another two and a half weeks, but last Friday signalled the start of the Christmas countdown as John Lewis unveiled its new and heart-warming advert for the festive season. I will now be waiting with baited breath for the Coca-Cola trucks to roll into town to all but confirm “the holidays are coming!”

Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes

On Wednesday evenings I settle down to watch Lord Sugar put this year’s contestants through another daunting challenge on The Apprentice. The boardroom scene at the end of the show is always an entertaining highlight, as the candidates try to shift the blame in a bid to avoid the axe. For a number of years Lord Sugar has been assisted on the show by Baroness Brady, one of the UK’s most recognised and respected business figures.

Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes

Seven weeks from now retailers will be in the midst of Black Friday, executing their carefully constructed plans to drive online traffic, ensure exceptional customer service and maximise sales. This key date in the industry calendar does of course originate from our American cousins, but before then retailers also have to contend with another US-inspired ‘holiday’, Halloween.

Joanne Morley, Head of Marketing, Hermes

I’m sure the majority of readers of this blog have a set morning routine before heading off to work. Mine involves a hot shower, an even hotter bowl of porridge and a quick look at the latest news stories being discussed on either the BBC or ITV that particular morning. On Wednesday I switched on the television and Kate Garraway stated that there are now only 100 days until Christmas (98 and counting now).

Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes

It’s slightly worrying when you consider just how quickly time flies by. September is already upon us, the nights are getting shorter and those memories of blissful sun, sea and sand are fading fast. This week we have seen the kids return to the classroom, but September is also time for retailers and carriers to knuckle down as they put the finishing touches to their plans for the upcoming peak season.

We have all heard of Professor Stephen Hawking’s classic book, A Brief History of Time, however not many people know how Hermes developed into the UK’s leading consumer delivery specialist. Therefore, we thought we’d share with you A Brief History of Hermes…

Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes

I’m sure at one point or another every reader of this blog has had a parcel sent to a place of work. For many employees, the decision to have items delivered to the office is centred on convenience and mitigates the risk of coming home to a ‘sorry, we missed you’ card.

Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes

If you’re reading this blog at your desk, take a second to scan the office floor and I’m sure you’ll notice that it is significantly quieter than normal.

With the school holidays in full swing, many workers have swapped their spreadsheets for sun cream to enjoy a week or more relaxing on the beach.

Typically reported views on the future of lifestyle retailing come down to some ultimate battle between bricks and mortar and online stores, the former offering the experience, the later the convenience. But might, potentially, tomorrow’s shopping paradigm be more at the blurred boundary between the two – bricks and clicks?

Read blog articles from:

• Carole Woodhead, CEO, Hermes
• Mark Pettit, Sales & Marketing Director, Hermes
• Martijn de Lange, Chief Operating Officer, Hermes