Say hello to Crawfords of London, an extremely dedicated team at the forefront of the new delivery and Hyper-Local Fulfilment sector. This efficient warehouse runs many different services, from their own fleet of limousines to Hyper-Local Fulfilment for big businesses working in London. With a family-run dynamic, this company is a gem in the Parcelly crown, and we want to say a special thank you. They were able to shed some wisdom on how this exciting new world is changing the delivery dynamics of global players in the market. They also were able to let us know their thoughts and opinions on running the Parcelly service
We met the whole team: Mandy, who manages the Parcelly service, Lotti, the Sales Consultant, and Danny!
Hello, lovely to meet you all thank you for being so welcoming! I guess we will start with an easy question, what is your role in Crawfords?
(Lotti) OH! What am I? I’m a Sales Consultant! I’ve been in sales since I was 18, logistics for me is my world. I love couriers, same-day deliveries, one-day deliveries and a bit of fulfilment! Fulfilment might be why we like Parcelly so much because it can be very time consuming and it’s not something you can easily build so frequently the profit margins are not great. However, with Parcelly there’s an ordering process, no paper trails due to the app and we don’t even have to do the distribution, in that sense it’s a bit of fresh air really.
How have you found the Parcelly Customer Service?
(Mandy) There’s never an issue and when we call we always get our answers. We always deal with Ernesto (shout-out to Ernesto for the amazing job he does!). The Parcelly team whenever I have had an issue with an order have always been very quick to respond to my questions, there’s never an issue of people hanging about and not getting any answers.
How do you find helping Parcelly with Hyper-Local Fulfilment over other companies you work with if you can discuss this?
We actually don’t work with anyone else that uses an app; we think the app is very good as it is instant. As soon as we scan a box the information is sent straight over to your system and we don’t need to have a paper trail. The process is very simple compared to the processes of other companies we partner with. We usually receive an email informing us that the courier will come the following day to pick an X number of parcels. Subsequently, we simply use the app to scan the labels and we prepare everything for collection.
If you had to change something about the app what would you change?
Nothing, it obviously works! It’s a very clear and simple app. Tracking paper trails can be such a headache especially when we must keep paper receipts for multiple clients, so using the Parcelly app instead is far easier and we think the direction many companies will be taking in the future. The only problem is when we forget to charge the phone!
How have you seen the growth of Hyper-Local Fulfilment, especially with on-demand becoming such a core idea in e-commerce?
(Danny) I think it’s the future of courier! Our industry, every 5 years you don’t recognise it because it grows so fast. Ten years ago, we didn’t imagine that we would work with algorithms and aggregators but look at us now! Apps and technology as a whole have changed remarkably our industry. There’s a growing idea of ‘no one having time anymore’ so people want things quicker meaning you can’t have your warehouses with all your stock in a different country, not even a different city anymore, everything has to be on-demand now. I think this rise in consumerism can be contributing to the reshaping of the role of the high street.
How do you think the role of the high street is being reshaped with online shopping?
The high street has been revived by the local councils. However, we believe that the role of the high street is changing. Shops are increasingly becoming showrooms where consumers experience the products and then buy them online. The high street is now offering experiences rather than goods, especially in big shopping malls. They are full of cafes, restaurants, cinemas and even skateparks! That is quality! We believe that rather than dying, the high street is evolving.
We think that the app is great and it makes the entire process seamless and transparent! We just open it, scan and everything is done!
CONGRATULATIONS again to CRAWFORDS OF LONDON and Lotti, Mandy and Danny and a big THANK YOU for being such a great business partner and contributing towards Parcelly’s vision!
Parcelly aims to give business owners full control over their parcel flow, offering them the ability to modify the number of parcels they wish to receive, as well as the option to control the size of the parcels stored - all in real-time via the app. This means that regardless of the storage capacity or nature of your business, we provide seamless integration across our services, and welcome you to join our network and benefit from new customers, additional footfall to your store as well as an additional revenue stream.
If your business is interested in joining our nationwide network and becoming a Parcelly location for Click&Collect, Key Exchange or Hyper-Local Fulfilment services, please do not hesitate to CONTACT US.
