Yodel has appointed Mark Horrobin peak programme director, a newly created role, to strengthen and oversee the planning and execution for this year’s Christmas peak.
Research by eDigitalResearch on behalf of Yodel suggests that four times as many shoppers are planning to place online orders this Black Friday as in 2014
Horrobin has already created a peak planning team, drawing expertise from all parts of the Yodel business, to ensure an integrated approach.
Yodel’s appointment of Horrobin’s follows its investment in new sites, fleet and training aimed at tackling any issues that may arise as a result of promotions in the run up to Christmas.
Keith Basnett, Yodel’s COO and interim joint CEO, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Mark onboard, as our planning for this year’s peak enters its next phase. His extensive experience and track record of delivering results in challenging circumstances will help to shape our peak plans and ensure that we are on track to provide the resilience required to deliver this Christmas.”
Horrobin has previously held board level positions at a number of blue chip companies including Tesco Telecoms and AOL and also two years at Onetel Communications, which was sold to Carphone Warehouse, where he was commercial director.
According to courier Fastlane International, more than £800m was spent on Black Friday alone in the UK. David Jinks of Fastlane is calling on retailers to think ahead.
“Online retailers need to learn from the lessons of last year,” said Jinks. “Last Christmas saw a record £810million spent on Black Friday in the UK, creating 400,000 orders in one day. This sounds great, but companies struggled to fulfil these orders.”
