Andrew Hill brings logistics and retail expertise to revolutionary delivery and returns service London, 23 September 2010 – Collect+, the convenient new parcel service which gives online shoppers the choice of collecting and returning parcels to neighbourhood stores, has been bolstered with the appointment of Andrew Hill to the position of Sales Director.

In his new role, Andrew will be responsible for developing key relationships with retailers, in order to raise awareness of the Collect+ proposition within the industry and give consumers access to the parcel service across a wider range of online retail outlets. Andrew will work closely with existing retailers signed up to the Collect+ service, such as the Shop Direct Group, M&M Direct and New Look, as well as creating new relationships.

Based in the North West, Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge about the home delivery industry to Collect+ as well as the proven ability to drive business development success. He joins having had 10 years experience at Yodel (previously HDNL), where he worked with major pureplay and multichannel retailers to encourage the use of Yodel as their logistics provider. Prior to that he was a National Account Manager for FedEx, during which time he built up a deep understanding of the logistics market.

Mark Lewis, Collect+ CEO, says of Andrew’s appointment: “Andrew’s work while at Yodel has given him the essential industry knowledge needed to take Collect+ to a wide range of retailers, and we are delighted to have him on board. The home delivery industry has been slow to adapt to changing consumer lifestyles and the rise of online retail.  Shoppers do not want to be burdened with waiting at home and, by offering an alternative delivery point, Collect+ is filling a large void. Andrew is going to be essential in communicating this exciting proposition to retailers.”

Set up as a joint venture between PayPoint and Yodel in 2009, Collect+ allows online shoppers to pick up or drop off parcels at their choice of 3,500 specially selected convenience stores. All stores were chosen because they offer security, convenience and long opening hours.

By offering both retailers and consumers greater choice on parcel deliveries and returns, Collect+ provides greater convenience and value. Currently, one in ten deliveries fail on the first attempt, costing retailers £240 million per year.* Poor delivery and returns experiences have led to 58% of online shoppers permanently shunning outlets.**

*IMRG, Valuing Home Delivery Report, Feb. 2010
** Research of 2000 UK adults in May 2010 – commissioned by Collect+ and carried out by YouGov

-ENDS-

Notes to editors
For more information or to set up a personal briefing with Andrew Hill, please contact the Collect+ PR team at the Red Consultancy:
0207 025 4980 / collectplus@redconsultancy.com

About Collect+
Collect+ is a new delivery and returns service giving online shoppers greater freedom and flexibility with the choice of collecting and dropping off parcels at local convenience stores.

Founded in February 2009 as a joint venture between Yodel and PayPoint, Collect+ operates through a network of 3,500 specially selected PayPoint Stores. Each store has been chosen because it offers shoppers convenient locations and opening hours with the assurance of full security for their parcels.

With 99% of Collect+ outlets open 7 days a week and all stores open at least 9 hours a day, Monday to Friday, the service offers online shoppers the option to pick up or drop off purchases at a time and place convenient to them.

75% of the UK population lives within a mile of a Collect+ store in urban areas, and five miles in rural areas.

Collect+ services are securely delivered by Yodel, which has 90 years delivery experience, carrying 300,000 items a day, and the retail payment network PayPoint, which handles 1.4 million financial transactions each day through terminals located in a network of 22,000 shops.

This backing gives Collect+ a mass of experience in logistics, fulfilment and retail as well as making the company entirely scalable in line with client need or in response to seasonal peaks.