– First return took place at 7.38am in Stirlingshire on Christmas Day –
– Last collection took place at 10.43pm in Middlesex on Christmas Eve –
26 December 2012 - While many of us were still unwrapping presents or peeling the sprouts, some Brits had already started to return unwanted presents on Christmas Day morning.
CollectPlus, the modern alternative to the Post Office, has revealed that the first return was made at 7.38am at the SPAR store in Airth, Stirlingshire, in Scotland.
With over 5,000 stores in its network, including convenience stores and garage forecourts which are often open on Christmas Day, the CollectPlus service allows customers to drop off unwanted presents for return to the retailers at any time or day of the year.
Although some were already returning gifts, others were taking advantage of their CollectPlus store’s late opening hours right up to Christmas, with the last parcel collection recorded at 10.43pm at the Esso service station in Hanworth, Middlesex, on Christmas Eve.
Mark Lewis, CEO of CollectPlus, said: “No matter how hard we try to buy the perfect gift for friends and family, it is inevitable that something will need returning or exchanging. Rather than waiting until the shops re-open after the festive break, popping to your local convenience shop or garage forecourt to return items is quick and easy, even on Christmas Day.
“For many the festive season is an exciting but busy time of the year so shopping online for presents has never been more popular. In fact, our recent research revealed that almost nine out of ten Brits (87 per cent) said they were planning to shop online this Christmas, whilst over one quarter (27 per cent) intended to do more online than last year. We saw an increase in the number of people opting to have their online presents delivered to one of our stores this year and take advantage of being able to collect them right up until the last minute.”
CollectPlus is a joint venture between PayPoint, the UK’s leading retail payment network, and the UK’s leading parcel delivery company, Yodel.
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For further information, please contact Laura Askew on 07545 933 678 or[email protected].
ABOUT COLLECTPLUS
CollectPlus is a delivery and returns service giving online shoppers’ the choice to collect and drop off parcels at local convenience stores. Founded in 2009, it answers a clear need for a modern alternative to the Post Office that is convenient and easy to use.
The success of the innovative model is reflected in the 160 retail brands that CollectPlus provides returns solutions for, with nearly 100 added over the past year. Delivery to local store, “Click&Collect+”, is provided to a rising number of retailers from Amazon to House of Fraser and ASOS to Very.co.uk. This complements the returns offer that CollectPlus provides to retailers, offering a complete delivery and returns service. CollectPlus also offers the option for UK residents to drop off eBay items to buyers, or presents to friends and family at their local CollectPlus stores for delivery to any UK address.
With a network of 5,000 shops open early ‘till late seven days a week; 87% of the UK population already live within a mile of a CollectPlus shop in urban areas and 88% within five miles in rural areas. The store network has grown by over a quarter in the last 12 months and continues to expand.
In 2011, CollectPlus was named ‘Third Party Logistics Supplier of the Year’ at the Retail Week Supply Chain awards; ‘Innovative Delivery Service’ at IMRG’s eCommerce Excellence Awards; and has been highly commended by Retail Systems for ‘Supply Chain Solution of the Year’.
CollectPlus is a joint venture between PayPoint, the leading retail payment network, and the UK’s leading parcel delivery company, Yodel.