Wincanton have announced a new strategic partnership with ZigZag Global to gain access to a comprehensive, end to end return solution for the retail market. This partnership forms a part of Wincanton’s recently announced eFulfilment proposition and marks another step in the development of Wincanton’s wider W2 Partner Network.
“The changing nature of online sales, coupled with new innovations in the marketplace, means that the retail sector is being disrupted at an unprecedented rate. This is putting retailers under huge pressure to improve their customer service levels, especially the way in which they manage returns so that the customer is able to rapidly repurchase alternative goods.
In ZigZag, Wincanton has identified a partner with substantial expertise, and a compelling approach to tackling the returns challenge. By integrating Wincanton’s eFulfilment proposition with ZigZag’s technology, we are able to help retailers process and consolidate returns, thereby reducing costs, as well as the burden on their customer service teams. As part of our W2 Partner Network, this agreement is a key differentiator for us.”
– Paul Durkin, Director Home and eFulfilment, Wincanton
Wincanton’s eFulfilment proposition consists of six core services:
- Advanced eFulfilment management – Complete end-to-end order and customer service management, with full product traceability and the ability to rapidly scale-up to accommodate peaks in demand, this service offers a choice of delivery options for the consumer
- Flexible collaborative warehousing – Wincanton’s proven, flexible, storage network features services such as pick-pack-despatch, which all help retailers to grow quickly without investing heavily in fixed costs
- Trusted carrier management – The company’s dependable and cost-effective carrier network partners are all focused on customer communication, flexibility and ultimately the best possible customer experience
- Best-in-class two-man home delivery – Wincanton’s widely respected two-man delivery, assembly and packaging removal service
- Integrated “Supplier to Customer” (S2C) functionality – An innovative, integrated service which means that retailers can extend their range or diversify their portfolio without actually having to take stock into their own shops or warehouses
- Efficient and effective returns – Giving the consumer a choice on how and when they return products, swiftly refunding and recycling stock while helping the consumer to purchase alternative goods from the same retailer
ZigZag’s technology allows retailers to make returns quick and easy for consumers, giving them the ability to grade their returned products, as well as consolidate, refurbish, locally redistribute, recycle, destroy or even resell their stock internationally.
As the increasing burden of customer expectation continues to transform the ecommerce landscape, returns is one of the key issues facing retailers. By combining ZigZag’s returns management platform with Wincanton’s collaborative logistics expertise, the two companies are able to offer a significant value-add to retailers experiencing increased consumer demand.
“With retail customers not just desiring, but expecting, both free returns and longer returns windows, our technology aims to solve a complex and expensive problem for retailers.
We’re providing a cheaper and more efficient way for retailers to analyse their returned stock, decide what to do with it and keep their customers happy. In partnership with Wincanton, we believe we can play a huge role in helping Wincanton’s retail customers to lead the charge on this issue.”
– Patrick Eve, Managing Director, ZigZag
