The Collect Group’s mission statement “taking the hassle out of parcels” and our tagline “we’re not just another courier company, we’re a software company with vans” were both born from the same thing – a desire to be different, and to make a difference.
Where many of the larger courier companies are focused on growth by increased sending volume, to the end that they are unable or unwilling to offer direct accounts to senders whose volume doesn’t meet these thresholds, we saw an opportunity.
With close to 2.6 billion parcels being sent per year in the UK (source: Statista), there exists an entire subsection of senders in the market who aren’t catered for by the large courier companies and can’t access the premium services to allow them to compete with the major retailers.
Since 2012, it’s been our vision to deliver a smart combination of reliable local logistics services and integrated software solutions which work for small businesses, from hybrid e-commerce and physical retailers to online marketplace sellers, and everything in between.
Having spent some time in the logistics industry, I had noticed a trend for smaller, independent online sellers and store owners to be “left behind” by the large courier and logistics companies. They weren’t able to access direct account services or customer support, or flexible daily collection services, which left them with using postage brokers as their only option.
Using brokers isn’t the most time or cost-efficient method for online sellers, and it means that they either have to pass on the cost of doing business to their customers or absorb it themselves; either way leaves them less able to compete with the larger retailers on price, or in terms of a positive purchase and delivery experience for their customers.
I started The Collect Group in 2012 to provide an alternative – a company who believe that retailers of all types and sizes should be able to compete with the giant eCommerce organisations, on as much of a level playing field as possible.
Smaller retailers, online sellers and physical store owners will always struggle to access the economies of scale and robust logistics employed by the larger retailers – but where The Collect Group can help them to excel is enabling them to provide their customers with high-quality delivery services. We’re also helping them to make time to build and develop high-quality brands, marketing and customer experiences, freed from the constraints of repetitive processing tasks and trips to the parcel drop-off shop.
Rather than focusing on volumes, van routes and coverage, we’ve focused on software integrations, automation and consolidation, to allow small businesses to do more with the time and resources they have available, and continue to build our services around their developing needs and the changing marketplace.
Mark McManus
Founder & CEO of The Collect Group
Meet the Executive Team
We’ve brought together a team of people who bring decades of cumulative experience of the parcels and logistics industry, as well as those who bring significant experience from outside the industry. This collective understanding is enabling The Collect Group to build responsive, reliable systems to provide the best possible experience for our clients, and their customers in turn.
Mark is commercially creative and spends much of his time developing software solutions to overcome business challenges, making processes easier and more efficient.
With an unusual sense of humour and focus on attention to detail, his style is best described as ‘different’.
Focusing on developing world-beating software systems, Dick’s key responsibility is helping the management team to maintain and strengthen the Group’s market lead.
Passionate about business growth and employee engagement, Michelle has launched our Growth Department as well as being instrumental in the improvement to policies and procedures.
What we’re all about
Simply put, The Collect Group exists to help smaller businesses bridge the gap between the small to medium-sized business and the large courier companies who are ultimately responsible for delivering their products to their customers.
By stepping in to assist small businesses to access the premium services from the large couriers, we’re assisting both parties. Ultimately, it’s the buying consumer who benefits from the improved choice and competition in the marketplace, as they can be sure they will receive the same high-quality delivery experience as shopping with larger retailers, so they can support small and local businesses with confidence.
We’re a technology and software company first and foremost, hence our company tagline “we’re not just another courier company – we’re a software company, with vans”. Very little has changed in the physical way that parcels are sent and delivered over the years, but the processes, systems and software facilitating this movement of physical goods are constantly changing and evolving. We’re looking to stay ahead of these changes, using our industry insight and client feedback to deliver a robust and reliable software platform which helps small businesses to grow and develop with these changing systems, with the aim of assisting them to benefit from industry advancements, rather than being locked out of them.
