Delivered Summer 2021

Jersey Post Group Magazine | Summer 2021

KE Y F EAT U R E S : - Navigating Trade Wars - Challenges of Global Logistics - Managing the Finances - Customer Insight: Plans for the Future - Artificial Intelligence

A leading name in mail and fulfilment solutions in HK & China A2B Limited is a Hong Kong-based, full service mail and fulfilment solutions provider. With more than 15 years’ experience in the eCommerce sector, a major focus of our business activity is in helping local eCommerce sellers achieve fast delivery of their products to their overseas customers.

Given our size, status and commercial partner relationships in this business we offer our clients, not only access to the best industry intelligence available in the region, but also highly competitive rates and transit times. In fact, there is a rate card to suit every seller’s budget. It is even possible to give an overseas customer a buying experience identical to that which they would enjoy as if they were buying products online from within their own country.

www.a2bhk.com

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the summer edition of Delivered.

I hope you are all having a great summer despite the disruption Covid-19 is no doubt having on your holiday plans for 2021.

For many of us, we will spend the summer holidays in our own country or even in our own region as we try to avoid international travel rules and uncertainty.

I hear from many of you that the travel restrictions have presented an opportunity to rediscover your home location, those beauty spots just a few steps from home that, in some cases, we have never stopped to observe or fully appreciate until now.

When this issue of Delivered lands, it will be our second summer living with this global pandemic. The challenges we faced last summer remain – evidenced by the latest third wave of the pandemic. However, we have learned a great deal in the intervening months, and I am more confident than ever that, as a global organisation, we will continue to deliver exceptional service and meet these challenges head-on.

In this edition, we shine a light on a number of these challenges and success stories, including an interview with Daisy Luk, MD of A2B China, on the impact Covid-19 has had on the sector and the effects of the ongoing US/China trade war (Navigating Trade Wars, page 18).

On page 28, our UK Sales Director Paul Scratchley outlines how he has helped transform Jersey Post’s eCommerce business from a fledgling start-up to a powerhouse covering a wide range of business sectors.

We also have an insightful interview with one of our key customers, Paul Murphy, CEO at Onogo, about the online retailer and its current growth plans for the future, while on page 22, Jane Balducci, Director of Sales, Fraser Freight, provides insight into the world of a truly bespoke logistics service.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Delivered and that it offers some insight into the challenges and success we are experiencing across the wider Jersey Post Group.

We are always open to feedback, and if you have any suggestions or topics that you would like us to explore in future editions, please get in touch by emailing marketing@jerseypost.com.

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CONTENTS

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2020: AN N UAL R E P O R T OVE RVI E W C L I V E B R OA D L E Y

PU B L IS H ER S Jersey Post Group Postal Headquarters JERSEY JE1 1AA

ED I TO R

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NE WS BITES

12

NE W VAT RULES

14

David McGrath, Group Marketing Director

VAI I E STR ENGTHENS TE A M

S U B ED I TO R Sonia Ferri, Senior Marketing Manager

NAVI GATI N G TR AD E WARS DA I S Y LU K

DESIGN & PR O D U C T I O N TPA

CO N TAC T US marketing@jerseypost.com

Please recycle this magazine.

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CONTENTS

Contents SU BM AR I N ES TO S TR AI GHTE N E RS

AR TI FI CIAL I NTE LLI GE NCE

J A N E B A L D U CC I

NIGEL ARK WRIGHT

22 28

NE W BUSINESS FROM THE UK

32

M ANAGING THE FINANCES

38 42

WAR M WELCOME

44

JT PR ESENTS JE RS E Y P OS T

34 46

TH E WOM E N D R IVI NG FE TCH.JE AND THEIR FOUR LEGGED FR IENDS

CUS TOM ER INSIGHT: O N O GO’S PL ANS FO R TH E FUTU R E PAU L M U R P H Y

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OUR NE T WOR K

F E AT U R E

2020: Annual Report Overview W

ith the annual report recently published, Chairman Alan Merry shares with Delivered an overview of the past year. A true test of our team’s ability to deliver and diversify in a year of ‘peaks and troughs’.

Covid-19 has dominated our world over the last 18 months, with the initial period extremely worrying due to the unknown impact the pandemic would have on the industry and the potential losses that we may have faced.

Our primary focus, both here in Jersey and internationally, was on playing our part in keeping people and businesses ‘connected’. Our core services saw a dramatic shift, volume of letters fell away, parcel volumes increased by 71% (our postal team felt they were managing ‘Christmas peak’ for most of the year), there were significantly fewer flights and boats, 20% of our people were self-isolating and our customers were facing their own challenges.

Many of the trends that have been accelerated due to the pandemic, such as the decline in traditional core business, increase in parcel traffic and move towards digital services are all here to stay.

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ANNUAL REPORT OVERVIEW

Our diversification strategy continued to add real value to the business: • Acquired the remaining shares in GePS (our first international investment) • International investments generated 40% of our turnover • Parcel Money (an online ‘send your parcel’ platform) saw significant growth in the UK and US • Won a $multi-million, five-year contract with United States Postal Service • Our digital business Vaiie, continued to innovate and develop, securing a bid to work with the Government of Jersey on the development of a new digital ID solution • We saw progress on a range of opportunities to work with the Government of Jersey that will be of long-term benefit to the Island • Acquired Fetch.je and Woodside Logistics, complementing our strategy to support local businesses

Despite all of these challenges and changes, our team adapted, often on a daily basis, to ensure there was no disruption to our core services. Our strategy of building on our strengths helped us to not only weather the storm but take advantage of opportunities.

We introduced new initiatives such as issuing thank you cards, delivering prescriptions and managing the conveyance of Covid-19 tests to the UK. Therefore, we are delighted to report a very positive set of results, turnover increased to £68m (a 27% improvement on 2019) and gross profit grew by 24% to £10.2m.

The quality of our team has continued to develop across the entire Group. Their enthusiasm, professionalism, creativity and sheer hard work throughout the pandemic is quite humbling. Our people have certainly ‘gone the extra mile’ to support our customers and they are a credit to themselves and to the business.

Despite all the challenges of 2020, our strategic plan is still on course: our global logistics network is growing and making an invaluable contribution to the business. While we are certain we will continue to face more challenges going forward, we have learned a great deal through the adversity of 2020, have confidence in the strategy we have adopted and, more importantly in the team’s ability to deliver.

To read the full Chairman’s summary and our 2020 Annual Report please visit www.jerseypost.com/annualreport.

AL AN MERRY Chairman, Jersey Post Group

The quality of our team has continued to develop across the entire Group.

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NEWS BITES

A NEW ONLINE PORTAL FOR JERSEY POST LOANS Jersey Post Loans provides customers with face-to-face loan applications facilitated by local loan providers Cherry Godfrey and RETO. Tania Castro, our loans representative, meets with prospective clients at the financial services desk within our Broad Street post office to help them through the application process and supports them through the loan payment journey.

Our digital business, Vaiie and the IT team have worked with Tania and the loan providers to develop an online portal that provides enhanced security when sharing sensitive data between the client, us and the loans providers.

It also removes the need for paper forms to be completed as the portal captures all the relevant documentation digitally and all in one place.

SILVER SPONSOR Jersey Post is the Silver Sponsor of this year’s IoD Director of the Year Awards and has sponsored the ‘Large Business - Director of the Year ‘ category.

In addition, we are thrilled for Lee Bosio, Managing Director of our digital business, Vaiie, who has been shortlisted for the ‘Young Director of the Year’ award. Well done Lee, and good luck!

The awards celebrate strong leadership and recognise excellence across the private, public and third sectors of Jersey’s community.

Some of Jersey’s finest directors reviewed the nominations. The judging panel was chaired by Kevin Keen, who said: “The judging panel had a very difficult job this year, we had over 60 entrants completing comprehensive online entries. After a lot of work and debate, we were unanimous in this list of really inspiring finalists. Jersey leadership at its very best.”

The winners will be announced at a black-tie awards dinner at the Royal Yacht on Friday 17 September.

This now means when a prospective client visits us, Tania is able to open up the portal and create a new loan application whilst the customer is there. Once the application is ready and all the relevant paperwork has been submitted, Tania sends it to the lender for approval via the system. The process, on the whole, becomes much smoother and more secure for everyone.

Sarah Angell, who has led the project, says: ‘It has been a pleasure working with Tania, and we continue to work alongside her as we make tweaks to the portal, having moved from test to live.’

now offering a delivery service The next day delivery service through Jersey Post officially launched on Monday 21 June, and Fetch merchants have the following two options to choose from: • Drop off orders for delivery at any post office • For 5+ orders per day, we will collect the items for delivery

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NEWS BITES

WINS PPE CONTRACT Woodside Logistics was successful in securing a three-year contract with the Government of Jersey for the storage, fulfilment, and delivery of PPE items in Jersey.

The contract commenced at the end of March and included moving the existing PPE stock by 1 April (circa 8,000ft2 of storage or approx. 600 pallets in less than one week) from the existing warehouse to the new warehouse in St Lawrence, which is managed by Woodside. The bid also involved the transportation and storage of Nightingale contents (e.g. circa 180 beds and associated items filling 16 containers in total) as part of the decommissioning of the Nightingale wing, which is also completed.

Charlie Gallichan (MD) led the joint bid with the full support of Jersey Post utilising its existing delivery fleet to deliver small to medium sized PPE orders and Woodside delivering the larger bulk items of PPE goods.

Woodside and Jersey Post adopted a partnership approach to working with Government on this and have since supported Government with delivery of the lateral flow testing kits to businesses taking part, which commenced in May.

POSTBOX CHALLENGE WINNERS In June, we held an awards ceremony for the 37 students who took part in the Postbox Challenge organised by Graham Single, Head of IT and Robin Longley, Operational Support Specialist.

The Postbox Challenge was designed to find Jersey Post an ecological solution that eliminates unnecessary journeys to empty postboxes across the island. Students designed prototypes that they presented to a panel of judges on 9 June. On 16 June, the year 10 team from Victoria College were crowned the winners. The students created a well thought out digital sensor with the potential to count the number of items that land in a postbox. They exhibited a complete and functional workflow, from posting a letter to a user interface for postal workers. The team also included a worked analysis of power consumption, had a fully costed bill of materials and understood the manufacturing/mass production process.

The winning team has been invited to the Digital Jersey Hub to polish their prototype to be included around the island’s postboxes.

The Year 10 team from Victoria College were crowned the winners.

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N E W S F E AT U R E

JERSEY POST GROUP APPOINT

UK MANAGING DIRECTOR STEVE WHITE UK Managing Director, JPGL

THE JERSEY POST GROUP IS DELIGHTED TO CONFIRM THE APPOINTMENT OF STEVE WHITE AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF JERSEY POST GLOBAL LOGISTICS. As UK Managing Director, Steve will be responsible for the integration of the Jersey Post Group UK businesses into one company under the Jersey Post Global Logistics brand. He will also oversee the remodelling of operational and sales structures and will support the development and expansion of the company’s portfolio of partners, agents and services, both globally and door-to-door.

Steve said, “I’m delighted to be joining the Jersey Post Group at such an exciting time for the business and to be heading up this global project. I have been very impressed with the way the company has embarked on its strategy for international expansion and the developments it has made globally in the last five years that challenge the trends in the postal and parcel markets,” he continued.

I’m delighted to be joining the Jersey Post Group at such an exciting time for the business and to be heading up this global project.

Steve has over 37 years’ experience in the UK and International freight and logistics industry. For the last 15 years, he was employed as Managing Director for a leading independent company based in UK, where he specialised in logistics for road, sea and air worldwide, together with global supply chain management. During his previous employment, Steve set up and ran logistics operations across the UK, including centres based in Swindon, Coventry and Manchester. He has established partnerships and agencies across Europe and globally and operated over 130 direct service lines to and from Europe. In addition to his extensive logistics experience and specialist industry knowledge, Steve is also a Graduate Member of The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport.

In 2015, the Jersey Post Group embarked on an ambitious international strategy that would help the organisation to address the long-term terminal decline in domestic mail volumes, and to exploit opportunities outside of the finite local market. To date, this strategy has been successfully implemented with the acquisition, or investment in, supply chain partners that strengthen the Jersey Post Group’s ability to offer an end-to-end logistics solution to a significantly larger customer base.

Jersey Post Group Chief Executive, Tim Brown stated, “With a strategic network of nine companies across the globe, the Jersey Post Group is now seeing the results from the last five years of international growth and development. Our ability to now leverage valuable UK, European and International logistics solutions through our Group enables our organisation to offer competitive, tailored services to our clients wherever they are based. The next logical step in our international strategy is to establish our network as a leading brand under the Jersey Post Global Logistics umbrella and to embark on the strategic expansion of our international services and client base. Steve will be an intrinsic and valuable component in this next phase, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Group,” Mr Brown confirmed.

Steve commenced his position as UK Managing Director in July.

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NEWS BITES

WHAT’S NEW IN THE

eCOMMERCE WORLD PAUL SCR ATCHLEY UK Sales Director, gives us an update on what he’s been working on.

MENZIES DISTRIBUTION Since the last edition of ‘Delivered,’ we have started to work with a UK business-to-business carrier called Menzies Distribution. They are most well known in the UK as a newspaper distributor however, they have managed to achieve what other carriers have not as they use their vehicles in the day for newspapers and become a parcel delivery service at night for newspapers and parcel trunking, meaning their assets are on the go 24/7, 363 days of the year. In the UK, the only days when there are no newspaper deliveries is Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. They have introduced their first client to us, a company called Quiz Clothing, and in the next few weeks, we’ll start delivering for Office Depot and L’Oreal.

This is not new business as we already carry for these brands through ParcelForce, but we have more than doubled the rate we get from ParcelForce, so Jersey Post wins overall.

Some of you will have heard the names ParcelMax and LetterMax associated with our international products.

We’re pleased to announce that on 7 July, Jersey Post presented these products to our first UK franchise partner, CitySprint and their 46 salespeople who will now be selling Jersey Post international products to their customers in the UK. This gives us a great opportunity to spread the ParcelMax and LetterMax brand amongst UK retailers, and for the first time, we’ll have our products being sold directly to UK businesses.

It’s a significant step forward towards becoming recognised among our partners worldwide. ...And where will all these parcels and mail go?

The London Hub

»

RETURNS PARTNERS You’ll know that we’ve been working with ReBOUND and a number of returns partners for about a year now, giving Jersey consumers the ability to have an end-toend returns process that has been tailor-made for the island. In July, we will launch with a new returns partner, ZigZag and their first client, Secret Sales, to grow the brands we offer return services for. As well as Secret Sales, ZigZag work with the BooHoo brands, Made.com, GAP, Superdry and Wallis, to name but a few. We’ll be introducing returns services for these brands throughout the remainder of 2021.

LONDON HUB We have been quietly working with reseller brands to get our London Mail Hub up and running and generating revenue through our international products. Based in Staines, TW18, we now have our very own UK premises for our customs and clearance services, along with our international and ParcelMax services. Under the watchful eye of our Interim Hub Manager, Louis Wilson, we’ve already invoiced over £30,000 worth of revenue in five weeks. That was from a standing start, so not a bad effort, and we now have some big names looking at us seriously to handle their international deliveries and post. These include The Hut Group and ASOS, but for now, we have five customers trading weekly, and our presence is growing as we talk to more and more businesses.

LOUIS WILSON International Support

Watch this space for updates on our London Hub and the new customers we introduce there!

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NEW VAT RULES FOR Yet more changes that have come about following Brexit are the recent changes to the EU VAT rules for goods sold into Europe. The European Commission say they have made these changes to create a level playing field for any businesses selling into EU countries.

W H AT H A S C H A N G E D ?

H O W D O E S T H I S I M PA C T O U R C U S TO M E R S ?

• NO LVCR Previously there was low value consignment relief on goods valued under €22, meaning lower cost items were exempt from tax. This was discontinued from 1 July, so now all goods sold into an EU country are subject to VAT.

Any customer posting items that they’ve sold to a customer in Europe needs to be aware of the changes and decide if, and how they will charge and declare VAT on the goods they are sending. They effectively have the following three options:

• Marketplaces are charging VAT to the buyer Online marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon are responsible for charging VAT to the buyer at the point of sale.

• The IOSS, Import One Stop Shop scheme has been introduced Reporting VAT in different EU countries could get complicated, so the European Union has introduced a single scheme called the “Import One Stop Shop” (IOSS). IOSS was created to facilitate the collection, declaration and payment of VAT, on the sale of goods into any EU member country.

• Do nothing If they simply send the goods and don’t charge the VAT in advance, then the buyer will need to pay the outstanding VAT on the item when it arrives in their country. The recipient will also be charged a handling fee by the local postal authority. This option is likely to negatively impact the buying experience as it delays the item’s delivery time and inconveniences the buyer with an additional surprise cost.

• Charge and declare VAT via the online marketplace This is by far the easiest option, as the marketplace takes care of the calculation and charging of VAT to the buyer, and it also facilitates the declaration and tax payment to the IOSS scheme. This means that the buyer has paid an inclusive VAT price and that the seller doesn’t have to make their own VAT calculations and declarations.

• Register with IOSS and calculate VAT on sales and make declarations to the IOSS scheme Sellers can calculate and charge tax and make their own VAT declarations to the IOSS scheme. However, to do this they need to appoint an intermediary based in an EU member country to register them for the scheme. Registrations and declarations to IOSS must be made by a nominated person or authority based in Europe. An added complexity is that tax rates aren’t the same and vary slightly in each destination country.

There are tax consultants with a local and European presence, such as Deloittes, that are offering this service. There are also several European companies offering platform integrated assisted solutions.

Obviously, these services come at a cost to the seller.

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SELLING INTO EUROPE W H AT I S J E R S E Y P O S T D O I N G T O H E L P CUSTOMERS WITH THE NEW RULES? Even though these changes have been introduced

by Customs and not by the postal authorities, it has a huge impact on both the sending and receiving post offices, and it is normal for customers to look to us for guidance and a solution.

Our business customers have been made aware of the changes, and fortunately, the majority of our larger logistics customers are selling their goods via marketplaces that cater for the changes.

Our retail systems, online portal and Atlas have all been updated, so we are able to capture the IOSS number and transmit the data in the Customs pre-advice for all relevant parcels.

We are currently exploring various assisted IOSS solutions providers as possible options for those customers requiring an IOSS solution.

For more information on these EU VAT changes, please see www.jerseypost.com/eu-vat

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W I T H

N E W

A P P O I N T M E N T S

V

L E E B OS I O Managing Director, Vaiie

aiie, a specialist Channel Island provider of digital regulatory technology and part of the Jersey Post Group, strengthens its team with four new appointments. A new, Senior Commercial Director, Programme Manager, Solutions Architect and Operations Manager have all recently joined Vaiie. The new appointments bring a credible and diverse wealth of experience which will further enhance Vaiie’s digital products and services for its customers.

Lee Bosio, Managing Director of Vaiie, said: “I’m very excited to welcome the new team members onboard, we pride ourselves on building high-performing teams and look forward to our new appointments helping us expand our vision and deliver the very best customer experience.”

Richard Gaudin has been appointed as Commercial Director, and in his role he will be responsible for all the business’ commercial elements such as business development and marketing with a particular focus on growth with

responsibility for the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity. Vaiie is at a key stage of development and Richard will to use his 20 years’ experience in senior commercial roles to drive step change growth within the company.

In his role, Richard will be taking Vaiie’s new regulatory technology (‘RegTech’) to market.

The portfolio is a sophisticated technology designed to solve challenges around regulatory compliance, risk management, and client onboarding/lifecycle management.

Vaiie has also appointed Adam Brown as Programme Manager, to oversee Vaiie’s full programme of software development projects, from initial concept to bringing the products to market. With more than 15 years’ experience in the digital industry, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across regulation, FinTech, change management, payments, banking, strategy and digital transformation.

Adam will play a key role in stakeholder management at Vaiie along with being responsible for providing fact-based insight on new and emerging trends, threats, legislation, and regulatory developments, to identify new opportunities and strategic solutions.

I’m very excited to welcome the new team members onboard.

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L - R : Richard, Louise, Luke, Adam

Luke Hopton has recently joined the team as Solutions Architect, with responsibility for overseeing the development teams in Jersey, Italy and Malta for all existing client services and future technology solutions. Luke has over 10 years’ experience in software development and has specialised in web and cloud technology and brings expertise from his career in a variety of organisations in Jersey, the UK and New Zealand. Whilst bringing a creative and logical problem-solving approach to the role, Luke’s appointment will also be key in the liaison between the technical team and senior team and his technical skills will ensure Vaiie builds leading RegTech products that deliver value to clients.

an intuitive workflow that meets the needs of businesses, customers, and regulatory bodies, creating an exceptional client engagement experience.

Vaiie has also recruited Louise Flynn as Operations Manager to help lead on the outputs of Vaiie’s digital studio and oversee the team responsible for supporting client success. With previous experience both in operational roles in the legal and finance industry as well as running her own family business, Louise will work closely with the product and development teams to scope, plan and budget projects, ensuring they are delivered to the highest possible standard.

Finally, Vaiie Identify sets a new global standard in trusted real-time remote identity verification, allowing companies to verify customers’ identity in seconds with fast, secure, and easy to use ID authentication, facial recognition, and liveness checking. The verification tool offers a robust and frictionless client experience that meets all KYC and AML obligations and is accessible on any web enabled device.

The four new recruits join the rest of the Vaiie team who have been driving innovation in the RegTech space, with three new and exciting products launching into the market. Firstly, Vaiie Onboard, a rapid, frictionless, and fully compliant digital onboarding solution, which empowers teams to shorten the onboarding process. It is packed with

Vaiie Locate aims to leave no address unverified through its comprehensive global address assurance service that serves to deter fraud. The cutting-edge authentication technology works to provide greater assurance that a person is based where they claim to live and verifies addresses anywhere in the world. By utilising Jersey Post’s knowledge, infrastructure, and network of trusted postal operators, Vaiie Locate is uniquely positioned to deliver the highest level of assurance with its trusted verification techniques.

The cutting-edge product range and new appointments highlight how Vaiie is committed to leading the way in achieving technology efficiency and innovation. The growing team will also help more organisations move away from traditional practices and processes and stride towards a digital first future.

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J E R S E Y S TA M P S

NEW STAMP ISSUES H I S R O YA L H I G H N E S S , P R I N C E P H I L I P C O M M E M O R AT E D W I T H J E R S E Y S TA M P S Jersey Post has issued a set of six commemorative stamps celebrating the life and achievements of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip. Britain’s longest serving royal consort, The Duke of Edinburgh passed away at Windsor Castle on 9 April at the age of 99. Prince Philip dedicated his life to royal duty and was famously described by Her Majesty The Queen as her “strength and stay”.

Designed by Osborne Ross Design, the stamps feature a stunning selection of black and grey duotone printed photographs, highlighting some of the many facets of His Royal Highness and celebrating his life and loyal years of service to the Crown, the people of Britain and the Commonwealth for over seventy years. Featured across the six stamps are strikingly informal portrayals of His Royal Highness as a global ambassador, horseman, supporter of industry, military dignitary, sportsman and royal consort.

J E R S E Y S TA M P S R E M E M B E R T H E 1 9 9 0 s 1990s popular culture is the subject of a set of six stamps, a miniature sheet and a souvenir sheetlet to be issued

by Jersey Post on 14 July.

The fifth and final instalment in a five-part series looking back at popular culture through the decades, this new stamp issue follows on from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s to explore different aspects of 1990s culture; language, music, fashion, events, food and drink, and leisure pursuits. Once again, the concepts and designs for the stamps have been created

by Hat-Trick Design (London) Ltd, working with specially commissioned illustrators.

In Jersey, the 1990s saw significant developments to St Helier, the Island’s capital, including the building of Liberation Square in 1995 and the opening of the new Elizabeth Marina in 1998. Elsewhere, as decreasing air fares to destinations such as Spain and Turkey caused Jersey’s tourism sector to shrink, the Island’s financial sector grew, with the creation of the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Channel Islands Stock Exchange in 1998.

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F E AT U R E

Navigating Trade Wars DA I S Y LU K Managing Director, A2B

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N A V I G AT I N G T R A D E W A R S

D

aisy Luk is managing director of A2B, a logistics company that operates from Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay, and which received investment from the Jersey Post Group in 2017.

We have seen import surcharges increase by up to five or ten times their usual rates.

Delivered caught up with Daisy on the impacts that Covid-19 has had on the sector, its impacts on international freight, and the effects of the ongoing US/China trade war. »

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F E AT U R E

H OW H A S COV I D -19 I M PAC T E D YOUR BUSINESS?

ABOUT A2B After a career spent mostly with DHL, I launched A2B in 2014. From our offices in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay, we predominantly handle the export of goods from mainland China to destinations around the world, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, the European Union and Middle East.

Our main focus is on the eCommerce and mail consolidation sectors, and we offer a wide range of solutions to our customers, including warehousing, worldwide express courier services and customs clearance.

W H AT I S T H E M O S T I N T E R E S T I N G O R E X T R AO R D I N A R Y D E S T I N AT I O N T H AT YO U ’ V E S H I P P E D TO? We recently sent a consignment of mobile phones to Zambia which represents a breakthrough for us into the African markets, which we believe offers strong potential as a key destination for A2B.

This has been a hugely uneasy time for many businesses, as markets are facing a huge amount of uncertainty. On one hand, the pandemic has created increased demand for Chinese-made products – through both general eCommerce requirements and fulfilment of specialist medical equipment and masks – while on the other, costs have been exceedingly unpredictable.

We have seen import surcharges increase by up to five or ten times their usual rates, making it difficult for us to know exactly what the final costs will be until items are delivered. Additionally, if a shipment is on route and gets stuck in an area that’s in a lockdown due to the spread of the virus, it is likely to remain there until the lockdown lifts, adding further unpredictability that can generate significant additional costs.

This has been compounded by a shortage of worker capacity – due to illness or isolation – with fewer staff and crews available. This has even impacted the express courier sector, where last September, limits were placed on the number of items that could be shipped at any one time.

Part of our strategy is to secure a greater customer base in Europe.

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N A V I G AT I N G T R A D E W A R S

HOW HAS THE TR ADE WAR WITH T H E U S I M PAC T E D T H E B U S I N E S S A N D H OW H AV E YO U A DA P TED? Overall, we have seen too many inspections and delays

by Customs which have compounded issues such as increased tariffs and import costs; in a worst-case scenario, containers can be held for up to three months

by US Customs officials.

These delays and additional costs can have a significant knock-on effect on eCommerce sellers in China, where some have been forced to shut down due to a loss of trading volume. This situation has been ongoing for some time now and we – and our customers – are continuing to adapt.

C AN YOU SEE A SOLUTION IN SIGHT? This is very much a political issue and one where we need the politicians to make the decisions and provide some solutions.

For companies like A2B, we need to ensure that we are keeping on top of data provided by the US government and follow any changing guidelines or requirements.

W H AT A R E YO U R P L A N S A N D O B J EC T I V E S F O R 2021/22?

Part of our strategy is to secure a greater customer base in Europe and a significant element of this will include helping to educate our Chinese eCommerce customers on the implications of the introduction of the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) in Europe.

The system is designed to enable suppliers selling lowvalue imported goods (of €150 and below) into the EU to collect, declare and pay the VAT to the tax authorities, instead of the previous system where the buyer had to pay the VAT once the item had reached the EU. We are also hopeful that by next year air service charges to South America will fall, opening the way for us to develop this market.

W H AT ’ S L I K E LY T O B E T H E N E X T B I G THING FOR THE INDUSTRY? While I think we will continue to see Amazon taking action against eCommerce businesses that sell counterfeit products, it is very difficult to identify any other trends at the moment as things are changing day-to-day.

For our part we will continue to take a flexible and responsive approach to the market and support our customers in ensuring they are acting reputably and reducing the number of counterfeit goods that are entering the markets and driving up China’s reputation as a centre of eCommerce.

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F E AT U R E

Submarines to Straighteners FR ASER FREIGHT RELISHES THE CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL LOGISTIC S

J A N E B A L D U CC I Director of Sales, Fraser Freight

E

stablished in 1993, Fraser Freight is a market leading provider of premium UK and European logistics and warehousing services. Acquired by the Jersey Post Group in 2015, Fraser Freight has expanded its global logistics network, delivering to countries all over the world.

Delivered spoke to Director of Sales Jane Balducci about the weird and wonderful world of a truly bespoke logistics service. »

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SUBMARINES TO STRAIGHTENERS

Perhaps the most unusual items were a World War Two armoured vehicle and a small yellow submarine!

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F E AT U R E

H OW LO N G H AV E YO U WO R K E D AT F R A S E R F R E I G H T ?

I joined Fraser Freight 18 years ago. At the time I was working for a UK parcel courier, but before that had spent my career in international haulage, and had previously worked with Ross Fraser (the founder of Fraser Freight) who was actually the one who persuaded me to join the company.

W H AT AT T R AC T E D YO U TO T H E F R E I G H T INDUSTRY? I’m sure if you ask most people in freight, they’ll tell you it’s a career that you fall into and I was the same! My first job after I left school was in a building society but after about six years, I was ready for a change and saw an advert for an inside sales coordinator at TNT. It was a huge step moving from quite a quiet environment to the hustle and bustle of a male-dominated logistics office. There was so much swearing that I introduced a swear box but within the first six weeks I had to ditch it…as I was quickly out of pocket! I loved the pace, ringing customers and getting appointments. Since then I’ve never looked back.

It may sound like a cliché, but every day truly is different: a different enquiry, visiting a different customer and different challenges to solve.

W H AT T Y P E S O F I T E M S D O YO U C A R R Y M O S T F R E Q U E N T LY A N D W H AT A R E Y O U R M O S T POPULAR ROUTES? To be honest we carry all manner of items, from golf gloves to hairdryers, satellite parts to swimming pools – we pride ourselves on finding a solution to almost any transport challenge.

TaylorMade Golf is one of our largest customers in terms of fulfilment and logistics. We provide a full service for them from packaging through to shipping, with three to four shipments a week travelling out to Holland. We support AirBus, shipping secure consignments of satellite equipment and packing satellite equipment into cases and shipping across Europe, Pan Global and UK sites France, Germany, Holland and the UK. One of our most popular routes is through to Italy, where our vehicles will leave the UK, drop deliveries across Europe, arrive in Italy to reload and then repeat the process on the return trip.

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On a weekly basis we’re involved in transporting straighteners, hairdryers and beauty products across Europe for GHD.

SUBMARINES TO STRAIGHTENERS

HOW WOU LD YOU DESCR IBE A T YPIC AL FR ASER FREIGHT CUSTOMER? As we provide a completely flexible and bespoke service, I don’t think there is a typical Fraser Freight customer. Our main priority is to find the solution to our customers’ needs; whether it’s logistics, fulfilment or storage, we seek to become an extension of their team and work hard to make their lives easier.

We’re not the cheapest provider out there but we will find a solution and our team prides themselves on going above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done. This commitment is how we’ve established many longstanding relationships with our clients, like Pall Europe (part of Pall Corporation, the largest filtration, separations and purifications company in the world) who we’ve been working with since we began back in 1993!

A good example of the team having to go above and beyond, is through our work with cruise ship interior fitter, Trimline. When there’s a fit-out required for a cruise ship, we often have to coordinate transporting five to six lorry loads from the UK out to Cadiz. We’ll manage everything they need, from entry to the port, to a crane to transfer the loads from the vehicles onto the ship, and ensuring all equipment and the previous interior is packaged up, taken off the ship and returned to the UK. The timing and coordination of this process is critical, as we cannot delay the ship leaving the port…although on one occasion a vehicle missed their ferry crossing, which delayed the arrival to port, resulting in them having to ‘chase’ the cruise ship over land to meet them at the next destination! »

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F E AT U R E

Becoming part of the Jersey Post Group has undoubtedly enabled us to achieve this growth and future ambition.

W H AT I S O N E O F T H E M O S T U N U S UA L THINGS YOU’VE HAD TO SHIP?

HOW HAS FR ASER FREIGHT CHANGED S IN CE YOU JO IN ED 18 Y E ARS AGO?

As you can probably tell we’ll ship all manner of items as our customer base is so varied. We ship a lot of golf equipment through TaylorMade Golf, golf gloves, hats, balls and bags. On a weekly basis we’re involved in transporting straighteners, hairdryers and beauty products across Europe for GHD. We have also shipped full scale models of luxury yachts to boat shows in Cannes and Monaco for Sunseeker. We’ve even transported entire swimming pools on low-loaders across Europe for AstralPool.

The company has evolved significantly since I joined and even more so since we became part of the Jersey Post Group. We’ve moved from being an owner managed business with eight employees back in 2003, to a professional and structured logistics firm with 49 employees, working alongside multiple partners and delivering shipments across the world.

Perhaps the most unusual items were a World War Two armoured vehicle and a small yellow submarine!

Without a doubt being part of the growth of the team to where it is today.

W H AT A R E T H E I N D U S T R Y ’S TOP CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW?

We’ve built a fantastic team over the years with many of us having worked alongside each other for nearly two decades and we’ve also had some fantastic new team members join us more recently. It’s an exciting time as we have lots of plans and a big strategy to achieve in the next three to five years and becoming part of the Jersey Post Group has undoubtedly enabled us to achieve this growth and future ambition.

Brexit has caused a number of unsolved problems for us, particularly with border restrictions creating significant delays due to additional paperwork, and rate increases have naturally put financial pressure onto our customers.

Despite all of the training, the industry and our customers were not remotely prepared for the impact of Brexit.

Deliveries which used to take minutes to complete now take hours or even days to process. The education and training for our customers has certainly been a challenge.

Then you add Covid-19 into it and testing put everything on hold. There is also a significant shortage of trucks across Europe. In addition, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) stating there is a shortage of 100,000 HGV drivers in the UK alone.

We are slowly starting to see things pick back up and as industries re-open, efficiencies are being made (we’ve seen a big increase in intra-European shipping amongst our customers), and the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions will certainly help.

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W H AT A R E YO U M O S T P R O U D O F ?

I hate the phrase “There’s no ‘I’ in team” but it’s true and a principle that we live by at Fraser Freight.

European Logistics Expertise

With over 25 years’ industry experience, we are a respected, market leading provider of premium UK and European logistics, and warehousing services.

As part of the Jersey Post Group, we are a key part of a global logistics network with offices in the UK, Europe, Asia and the USA. This global reach means we can ensure the perfect logistics solution for any customer requirement.

- Express Transport - Groupage - Part Loads - Full Loads - Specialist Transport - Warehousing - Dangerous Goods - Air Freight - Sea Freight - Insurance

Fraser Freight Ltd Unit 1, Quadra Point, Sharps Close, Anchorage Park, Portsmouth, HANTS, PO3 5PL Call +44 (0) 23 9267 5050 Visit www.fraserfreight.co.uk

F E AT U R E

New Business from the UK Market D

elivered caught up with Paul Scratchley, who is in responsible for driving new business from the UK market into Jersey – a role he has held since 2018 when Jersey Post CEO Tim Brown made contact noting Paul’s ability to ‘play around with starting things’.

PAU L S C R ATC H L E Y UK Sales Director, Jersey Post

From that point, Paul has helped to transform Jersey Post’s eCommerce business from a fledgling start up to a powerhouse that covers a multitude of business sectors and has opened international delivery lanes for the company.

It’s no understatement to say that there is something new happening every day in the global world of eCommerce and logistics.

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eCOMMERCE

Back in 2018, there was a palpable realisation that Jersey Post must transform and diversify its business activities in order to thrive. With letter delivery in stark decline and parcel delivery rapidly becoming core to the business, Paul’s role was to help Jersey Post to identify opportunities to widen its revenue stream, help Jersey-based consumers access the goods they wanted and capitalise on global market developments.

With over 30 years’ experience in the global logistics industry, Paul, who describes himself as an ‘impatient fidget’, was perfectly placed to help Jersey Post launch an eCommerce business strand.

A former special constable in the police force, Paul was bitten by the logistics industry when he answered an ad looking for people ‘who could talk’. This started his career working at some of the most notable UK logistics companies including Target Express and CollectPlus and driving start-up company Gophr into profitability.

The call up to Jersey Post brought together many of the skills Paul has honed over his career: a challenge to design and develop a full eCommerce offer to the Channel Islands, creating a small start-up within the existing business to enhance the mail offer to Islanders and creating opportunities for UK retailers to increase their offer into a new market.

Over his career, Paul has been driven by the fast-paced nature of logistics.

It’s no understatement to say that there is something new happening every day in the global world of eCommerce and logistics, something Paul has relished responding to over his career.»

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F E AT U R E

T H E G R E AT L E V E L L E R Much has been made of how Covid pushed more people online, but in reality, they were already shopping in the online retail space. What Covid achieved was accelerating the online retail space forward by around five years. Although it can be unpalatable to talk about ‘winners’ in the context of the global pandemic, the global logistics industry had a vital role to play in connectivity during such challenging times and the industry had to respond fast to keep up with consumer demands and to support its partners.

Consumers, spending more time at home with nowhere to go, had more time to shop – online. And they did!

During 2020, Paul spearheaded a project to establish a free returns service with key UK retailers, such as ASOS, to close a gap in the online retail space between UK companies and Channel Island consumers. The infrastructure was already there and Paul cites the successful establishment of the free returns service as being defining – creating and facilitating a seamless service between Jersey Post’s UK partners and Channel Island consumers.

As global logistics specialists, Jersey Post Group has a role as the interface between the consumer and the retailer, as well as a vested interest in ensuring both are getting the services they need.

The nation’s psyche also changed during the pandemic.

While once commuters would stop at parcel lockers to collect their goods, now customers realised that actually they wanted it delivered straight to their door where, because of more time working from home and restrictions, they were spending more time than ever.

Once again, Jersey Post had to reconsider its strategy and pivot its offering to ensure that the customer was getting what they wanted.

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eCOMMERCE

T R A N S F O R M AT I O N A N D I N N O V AT I O N What is next on Paul’s eCommerce agenda? For Paul, eCommerce is driven by customers and being a consultative business is key to harnessing this.

Responding to changing expectations and requirements is fundamental to his role as well as understanding that customers have a choice in who they buy from – which in turn dictates who delivers.

Customers are also making it clear that sustainability is a core consideration which retailers and logistics providers must act on. Customers have the power to force businesses into making more ethical decisions as they consciously make purchasing decisions in line with their beliefs.

Continuing to establish Jersey Post as a true eCommerce partner continues to be Paul’s strategy, building strong relationships with UK customers and maximising the infrastructure that the Jersey Post Group has built.

Paul is confident that same day delivery will become a reality for Channel Islanders. He believes it could potentially be introduced as partnerships continue to grow and as links with the UK and islands revert to normal.

So what does Paul do in his spare time? In this new world where domestic travel has become more popular, Paul and his family spend time in their recently bought caravan exploring the UK - most recently the beautiful beaches of Woolacombe which he rates higher than those in Jamaica!

eCommerce is driven by customers and being a consultative business is key to harnessing this.

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Managing the Finances S

ince 1969, the Jersey Post Group has grown from being the island of Jersey’s trusted letter and parcel delivery service, to an organisation offering a full suite of postal products and services. Through recent expansion, Jersey Post Group now provides logistics management for any size or type of item across a network that spans more than 190 countries. This development and growth wouldn’t be possible without the meticulous and stringent management of the Group’s finances.

Delivered caught up with Maxine Dunn (known to many as Max), the Jersey Post Group’s Head of Commercial Finance to find out what’s involved.

I returned to Jersey Post in 2016, where I have had a number of roles including Financial Controller and Head of Commercial Finance and I was recently made an Associate Director. I’m also a non-executive director for Fraser Freight and Chairperson for HICS, both businesses within Jersey Post Global Logistics (JPGL).

MA XINE DUNN Head of Commercial Finance, Jersey Post Group

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GROUP FINANCE

Never complete anything unless you fully understand it.

MY ROLE

ABOUT MAX

I provide financial guidance to the fully owned subsidiaries and investments within JPGL. My day-to-day role consists of supporting the management teams, providing performance reporting such as management accounts, annual financial statements, budgets and business case analysis to support commercial decisions. I then report the performance of these businesses to the Group’s Financial Controller, who looks after the Jersey Finance team and the overall consolidation of the Group accounts.

I’m originally from Bolton (England). I left school at the age of 16. My career started in Logistics, working for White Arrow, a transport company that delivered goods for a large catalogue group. My position was an operational and admin role within the transport office. I was responsible for the routing of vehicles and the cost reporting. I obtained my Certificate of Professional Competence, known as a CPC accreditation. This is a qualification in relation to number of areas relating to road transport compliance management as set out in the Operator Licensing Regulations.

As many would expect from a finance role, there are times of the month that I have a structured timetable, however it is often I go off piste! As this area of the business is developing, there is lots to do.

THE LAST 18 MONTHS I would consider myself a positive person and someone who likes to solve problems, which has certainly been a useful skill over the last 18 months, as we developed a finance structure to support our UK businesses and recruited a Finance Manager and Assistant Finance Manager to support them. This hasn’t been without its challenges as due to Covid-19 the majority of the interviewing process had to be done remotely, which adds a layer of difficulty when trying to get to know someone and understand their abilities to get the job done. We also introduced new software to look after the pricing of specific areas of the business and created the new role of Group Pricing Manager to support its roll-out.

That said, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved over the last 18 months.

THE FUTURE Looking to the future and our priorities for 2021/22, we are going to continue to set up a Finance function in the US to support our fully owned subsidiary, GEPS. We also want to further develop the finance structure in the UK and create synergies between the services that our UK businesses provide.

In my teens I had a dream of leaving my hometown with a rucksack and travelling the world, which I did in my mid-twenties, living in Australia and travelling throughout Southeast Asia, predominately Vietnam. I arrived in Jersey in 1997. I gained my Certified Accountant Technician qualification and went on to become a qualified Accountant a few years later.

PIECE OF ADVICE A piece of advice that has been invaluable in my accounting career and always stuck with me is: “never to complete anything unless you technically understand it in full”, ask questions and learn. I also believe that some career paths you take may not feel right at the beginning but trust that with hard work and dedication they will provide a bridge to the right role; experience is priceless.

I N S P I R AT I O N A L L E A D E R I can’t say I admire a specific woman in industry; however I admire Jacinda Ardern, NZ Prime Minister. Not because of her political view or what she has achieved in office but for the way she has communicated and promoted that it is normal for woman to work full time and have a family. She gave birth soon after she became Prime minister proving that this is possible.

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C U S T O M E R

I N S I G H T :

Onogo’s Plans for the Future Our team is the heart of our business and our one true sustainable competitive advantage.

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ONOGO

PAU L M U R P H Y CEO, Onogo

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elivered caught up with Paul Murphy, CEO of Onogo, to find out more about the online retailer, its recent growth and plans for the future.

Driven by the Japanese business philosophy of Kaizen (change of the better) we wanted to find out more about this interesting Jersey-based business that is a powerhouse on the international third-party marketplace seller stage.

W H AT I S O N O G O ?

We partner selectively with ambitious brands that want to scale their businesses to leading positions on Amazon and other highly competitive marketplaces. We sell 6,500 different products across categories such as sports, outdoors and electronics to pets, health, automotive and garden. Onogo launched in 2008 and is one of the longest established third-party marketplace sellers in the world.

Since our launch, we have grown our business by focusing on developing the best software so we can analyse, model and automate nearly 100k listings, applying 2 million changes to these every day. We developed our proprietary software many years before it was available to buy as an ‘off the shelf’ product which has always given us a competitive advantage. Our software is bespoke to us and we continue to evolve it. We process and ship orders globally seven days per week and have served over 1.5 million customers so far this year. Thanks to our strategic partnership with Jersey Post we can deliver the highest standard of customer service.

Since 2018 we have grown revenues by 126% and volumes have grown by 57%. We sell products through 20 global marketplaces and are selling an item every 15 seconds.

And the key to our success – our team. We have grown rapidly in recent years, developed, and reacted at speed with great success. Our team is the heart of our business and our one true sustainable competitive advantage. »

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F E AT U R E

W H AT W E R E T H E B I G G E S T CHALLENGES OF THE L AST YEAR? Last year 75% of our team were new to our business. We also had to have systems in place to ensure we could grow effectively. We moved warehouse in October 2020 to a much larger site, which was not a project for the faint hearted, but enabled us to improve our offering and provided us the ability to grow further. Consolidating growth and investing into the future is always a challenge, when it has to be done at pace, but our teams and suppliers have responded incredibly well to this, as well as the market changes we saw in 2020

Consolidating growth and investing into the future is always a challenge.

H OW D I D COV I D I M PAC T YO U R BUSINESS FOR THE POSITIVE A N D T H E N E G AT I V E? The acceleration of online retail as people turned to their computers and tablets to order essentials (as well as luxuries) meant we became a lifeline to many people around the world who needed products delivered.

This enabled us to accelerate our plans and investments into the team and business.

Negatively, we were impacted by challenges within the logistics sector and in particular the lower levels of freight capability during the height of the pandemic, which continues even now. Taxation policies globally have continued to test our ability to respond and continue to grow on a global level.

W H AT B U Y I N G T R E N D S D I D Y O U S E E THROUGHOUT 2020 AND ARE THESE CONTINUING INTO 2021?

We have seen a continued shift to online with consumers becoming extremely comfortable sourcing and shopping for consumable and repeatable products, such as the ones we stock, online; a trend we expect will continue.

Online marketplaces continue to show dominance in eCommerce with 58% of all product searches starting on Amazon (if you are Prime this is 80%). Today only 12% of product searches start on Google. 53% of Amazon sales are from third parties. We are positioned in the top 1% of Amazon third-party sellers (in terms of global revenues) - something we are incredibly proud of as a Jersey retail business.

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ONOGO

D I D YO U H AV E TO G R OW YO U R T E A M D U R I N G T H E PA N D E M I C TO MEET DEMAND? Our Jersey team has grown by 82% and we now have 71 team members, up from 39 in 2018. During the pandemic we were very lucky to be able to work alongside other island companies and businesses who had team members looking for employment opportunities. It was fantastic to be able to partner with the Seymour Group in this way; a great benefit to living in a close island community where businesses across all sectors supported one another.

W H AT A R E Y O U R P R E D I C T I O N S FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR? In the next six months we feel that online will continue to grow at pace and our challenge will be to keep up with this demand. EU VAT changes and regulations mean that we will see some softening of the business in the short term as the logistics and customs teams manage the new practices.

2021 will be another strong year for Onogo. We have lots of exciting opportunities in the pipeline which I look forward to sharing with you soon. We will continue to work in partnership with Jersey Post, building on our strong collaborative approach, which will see us to continue to deliver exceptional customer service and speed and reliability of delivery.

In the next six months we feel that online will continue to grow at pace and our challenge will be to keep up with this demand.

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Artificial Intelligence NIGEL ARK WRIGHT Chief Information Officer, Jersey Post Group

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igel Arkwright, Jersey Post Group’s Chief Information Officer, joined the company two and a half years ago.

He has over 30 years’ experience working in the technology sector and has held roles at some of the preeminent logistics and manufacturing companies, including Parcelforce and Unipart.

Delivered caught up with Nigel to discuss artificial intelligence and the opportunities for the delivery industry in the coming years.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, applying mathematical models to business problems, are far from new concepts. In many ways, they are already an intrinsic part of our everyday lives – through Google Maps and the Alexa’s, which many people already have in their homes. Algorithms based on data inform how Amazon and retailers present different shopping options to us as we browse the internet and the chatbots we engage with are programmed to deal with straightforward requests.

Mathematical models have long been used to help to solve businesses’ problems and customers’ pinch points. Extracting knowledge and data and identifying patterns is a powerful way to model changes for the better.

In sectors such as medicine and finance, which are based on factual numbers and data, AI is a powerful tool to model outcomes, as we have seen being constantly used throughout the covid pandemic.

In these sectors, the use of application of AI is more developed.

When it comes to programmes such as Google’s Alexa and other areas where a more human response is required, the experience is more rudimentary and can be prone to error. In 2017, a six-year old girl in America asked Alexa to get her a dollhouse, which Alexa duly did… the story was then picked up by the local TV station, triggering other Alexas in people’s homes to overhear the story and attempt to buy further dollhouses, so there are clearly kinks in the system that must be fixed – and will only be fixed as the data and technology becomes more sophisticated. »

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Extracting knowledge and data and identifying patterns is a powerful way to model changes for the better.

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F E AT U R E

AI, after of course, has its issues with questions raised around its ethics, how data is mined and shared, and consent is gained. There are questions around whether AI will cause mass redundancies as companies streamline and cut costs in favour of robots. Some of these issues will be ironed out as the sector develops, but I will say now that my opinion is that AI will not, and should not, replace people.

The data that is collected doubles every year, a mindboggling thought when you consider the exponential growth this represents. Children today, already growing up as digital natives, and the future technologies they will use will have access to such rich data, and by the time they are adults, the world of AI will be a hugely different place.

So how will AI impact Jersey Post? My career has been about harnessing technology and data to make improvements for customers and organisations.

One of the most exciting aspects of working for a company like Jersey Post Group is that we operate within a defined space and boundary in terms of our local market, which means that we can test data, model, and implement changes quickly.

As a business, there are many opportunities for us to harness AI in the coming years; technology can make a genuine difference and be a natural partner for the business.

The customer care team has recently invested in a chatbot that helps answer common customer queries online before the need for a team member to help a customer.

My career has been about harnessing technology and data to make improvements for customers and organisations.

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI will make us more successful, enabling us to do more for customers which makes for an exciting future.

One of the primary considerations for us as a company to solve, with the help of AI, is how we can be greener and enable our customers to be more sustainable in their ordering and collection habits. We know that environmental issues are a key driver for customers as well as for the business itself.

Many people will make multiple online orders over the course of a week, creating more trips out for collection and delivery. Those small purchases have a ripple effect into a much bigger ecosystem. My intention is to use data collected to model how we can make this a more efficient process which means offering customers more delivery and collection options – a project which will hopefully be delivered in a couple of years as we collect data, model and implement the changes.

In collaboration with Digital Jersey and Skills Jersey, Jersey Post’s Postbox Challenge 2021 challenged students from four schools to create an innovative solution to identify empty post boxes and eliminate the need for Jersey Post to drive to those locations every day unless there is something to collect. The ideas from the teams were brilliant and showed that young minds can create technology-based solutions that solve real-time problems and positively impact the environment.

AI has the potential to make Jersey Post a more collaborative company that can provide enhanced customer service by better understanding their habits and needs. Although AI can provoke some disquiet, as we have touched on earlier, my opinion is that we should view it as a business tool that complements the hard work of the teams and is no way intended to overshadow or replace the brilliant job that colleagues do every day.

AI will make us more successful, enabling us to do more for customers, which makes for an exciting future.

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F E AT U R E

NATALIE CL AR E New HR Director Jersey Post Group

W A R M

Welcome J

ersey Post Group recently welcomed Natalie Clare as HR Director. Delivered caught up with Natalie to find out more about her vision for the future, her working style and about her passions and interests.

Making Jersey Post Group (JPG) an even better place to work is my goal.

I want to add value to the business and to help the Group achieve its business objectives but to do that, my focus is on our people.

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WELCOME

I really thrive on new challenges and I am motivated by making a difference.

ABOUT ME I’m an entrepreneur at heart while HR is my chosen profession. Over the last 20 years I’ve owned a few businesses of my own, I’ve worked across a variety of sectors including finance, sales, construction and retail and I’ve spent time outside of Jersey. This experience, both strategic and operational, enables me to look at HR from a different perspective to most. I love it. I really thrive on new challenges and am motivated by making a positive difference to the organisation I’m a part of.

While I’m excited about my role and all the great things we can achieve as a team, my first task is to take the time to listen. I’ve not come to JPG with a pre-determined strategy and a new way of working to roll out, I’ve come to listen, to observe and to collaborate. You will shortly be receiving the first Group internal survey and I’m hoping to hear from as many of you as possible. Your input is invaluable.

P E O P L E S T R AT E G Y At a high level, making JPG an even better place to work and adding value to the business by contributing to its Strategic Business Plan are my dual aims. I believe our people are our biggest asset and if we focus on our people, as a consequence we’ve focused on the business. If we look after you, develop you, recognise and reward you, we can create better engagement, which will lead to us all being more productive, innovative, and efficient. JPG has invested in businesses across a number of jurisdictions in recent years and now feels like the right time to modernise and to bring people together, to collaborate and integrate. I want to foster a culture of transparent, open communication that will result in a joined-up Group by the end of 2022.

So, what do I think will be key to getting JPG’s HR strategy right? I’m in the discovery phase at the moment, learning the business, getting to know people and hopefully people will see I’m an approachable, friendly, supportive fellow human. You may see me walking the floor in Jersey, having one-to-ones and Teams calls, getting a real sense of what JPG is about.

GLOBAL REACH I’m also keen to create a sense of unification – JPG is a large organisation, spanning four continents and I want to help build a unified purpose for our business. Any initiatives we embrace will be global, although I do accept that will also bring some challenges as I know ‘one size’ does not fit all. We will be exploring many channels and routes to enable us to support and develop you all in a way that is personal to you and your needs.

I am fortunate to get the opportunity to spend my career focused on people. I am appreciative that no two days in my role are ever the same, I embrace diversity and variety.

M Y PASS I O N S Away from work, without being too geeky, I’m passionate about ‘future of work’ trends, personal growth, and spend (well, until 2020) time travelling to seminars internationally. I enjoy going to the cinema with my son, who has just turned 13 and spends most of his time at the skate park!

I’m delighted to have been made to feel so welcome at JPG. I’m excited that change is coming – its positive.

Please do talk to me, drop me an email or give me a call, I’m genuinely interested in all of your feedback.

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N E W S F E AT U R E

S T N E S E JT P R

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F E AT U R E

The women driving A N D T H E I R F O U R - L E G G E D F R I E N D S

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e’ve all seen Fetch’s famous Jack Russell Mascot ‘Max’, so Delivered sat down with the women behind Fetch, who just so happen to be the owners of Max’s two pawsome pals to find out what they love most about spearheading Jersey’s leading online marketplace!

I literally eat anything, but I especially love a bit of crab or lobster.

- Loca 46

FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS

Meet Max’s pawsome pal, Loca Gordon Setter, 6 years old.

What’s your favourite treat?

I literally eat anything, but I especially love a bit of crab or lobster when grandad catches some!

Who is your best friend?

Cleo – my sister Cat. I do everything with her including playing, sleeping, and cleaning each other. The only thing we don’t share is my food!

Lucie Sicard

What is your favourite pastime?

I love to be in the car and go for walks.

I’m a hunting dog, so I love to run for miles, especially after birds, but I’m not allowed to catch any!

Operations Manager

Tell us about your role I originally started working for Fetch when the company I used to work for 365Tickets founded Fetch to help local businesses during the pandemic. At that time, I was responsible for looking after the merchants and the creation of their products on the website. Due to external circumstances I had to leave the project, however, I was excited to return earlier this year, as the Operations Manager. I am really excited to be working on it again and be able to develop the site to its full potential to support local businesses.

What’s your favourite Fetch product at the moment?

I must admit, I love the brunch boxes from the Yard. I have tried two different ones from there and they are simply delicious and perfect for the weekend.

I’m also planning to place an order for some home accessories from Willow which I met during a pop-up shop earlier this year. They have some really good quality products and it is nice to find something different from the products in the big brand shops in Jersey.

Who would you recommend Fetch to?

Everyone! It’s so easy to place an order on the website, it’s a time saver and a feel-good factor when you know you are ordering from a local business. We have a few food options with cold or hot drinks that you can order before going to work in town. It’s also great to find little gifts for yourself or treat a loved one with something original!

What’s in the pipeline?

We have just introduced our new delivery service and we’re hoping to develop it to be able to help all kinds of different businesses. We are continuing to work on a new website building on two main areas, one for food and drink and another for retailers which will have an Etsy style feel to it. Maybe one day we will be hosting a Fetch pop-up market with all our merchants, who knows?

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Something unique about you?

I’m a good judge of character with humans.

I also saved my mum and dad from a possible fire by alerting them that something was wrong with a burning plug in the middle of the night.

F E AT U R E

Meet Max’s pawsome pal, Mia Schnoodle, 9 years old What game do you enjoy most?

I love to fetch and search for the hidden ball.

What’s your favourite snack?

My favourite snack is my chewy snack bone, it’s the first thing I’ll grab as soon as some human gets back home.

Who’s your best friend?

It’s my parents. They are my best friends and my sister Daisy, who lives with another family member. We see each other once a week.

Danuta Palczynska

What’s your favourite pastime?

I love to eat my chicken and go for long walks. Woof woof!

Client Onboarding Specialist

Tell us about your role I’ve had a great opportunity to work for Fetch for the past 11 months as the Client Onboarding Specialist. In my role, I help Fetch merchants set up their new merchant account and get their page live and ready to sell products.

What’s your favourite Fetch product at the moment?

I couldn’t choose just one! I’ve managed to narrow it down to the top three for the moment: 1. The Portelet Retro Travel Poster Print from our new merchant RonMills.art has to be one of my top picks. I think it’s such a beautiful idea to decorate your home or make a gift to someone visiting and it’s my favourite bay in Jersey.

2. Cheese and Antipasto from Oh My Graze is another gem. They offer a delicious selection of cheese, freshly baked bread and croissants, assorted crackers, breadsticks, olives and pickles, fresh and dried fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts, honey and marmalade – just to name a few.

3. I’m also enjoying the Black Fig & Vetiver Luxury Diffuser and Candle from Pretty Okay Candle Co. These are beautiful, long-lasting scents in reusable jars, and I love them both.

How do you see the site developing?

I’m certain that with the new features we now have and a new website coming soon, Fetch will be a sustainable one-stop-shop for Islanders to order everything safely.

Once the Fetch app is developed, that will also make shopping on Fetch an even more accessible day-to-day hub for Islanders to buy everything from breakfast, lunch and dinner to clothing, technology, and gifts, whilst also supporting the local businesses that we love.

What is your favourite part of the role?

I can support local businesses by helping them to get started and sell their products on Fetch. Seeing how they grow is so rewarding and observing the customers buying behaviours is incredibly insightful.

I love to eat my chicken and go for long walks. - Mia

Check out fetch.je today to shop all the latest local products, shopping, and fresh food.

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Looking for extra piece of mind?

Two options available to purchase:

Lateral flow home kit tests available to order on Fetch.je!

These kits are perfect for staff to test at home ahead of coming to the office, for those wishing to test themselves before visiting vulnerable relatives or for anyone wanting extra peace of mind.

You can now order your Covid Antigen Rapid Self-Test to do at home from Le Quesne's Pharmacy. Collect or have your order delivered for free.

If you have any questions about this product, contact the Fetch team on info@fetch.je today.

Part of the

1 x SARS CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test - £8.75 25 x test pack - SARS CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test - £174.90 (20% saving) • U.K. government validated at public health England porton down laboratories • Detects new virus strains • MHRA registered • Nasal only test • 98.8% accuracy • CE approved and ISO certified • Individually packaged and numbered • 2 years shelf life • Results in 15 minutes

N E W S F E AT U R E

SIAM PROJECT U P DAT E JERSEY POST’S NEW ADDRESS SYSTEM Rob Widdowson, senior project manager in operations, gave Delivered an update on how SIAM, the new address system, is progressing.

W H AT I S S I A M ?

The SIAM project was devised to give us a single source of address information on the Island, which we can use throughout operations and associated IT applications to support the Operations and Customer Care teams. It enables us to develop new software that will improve the delivery process and provide a better customer experience.

W H AT C H A L L E N G E S H A V E YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? The difficulty with a project of this size, and that has multiple suppliers is trying to get all of the data to match. If you can imagine, when you are filling in the delivery address details for something you’ve purchased online, the format on one retailer’s page may ask you to enter the “name”, “address 1”, “address 2”, “city” and “postcode”. You then buy something else from another company, and they ask you to enter your “name”, “address”, and “postcode”, then another retailer website asks you for the “building name”, “company name”, “house number”, street name”, “district”, “city”, “country” and “postcode” and so on. As a result, there are numerous databases with different ways of describing your address, some of which may be similar to the description of another different address.

The first thing we had to do was clean up all of the data we had. Given that there are over 40,000 properties on the Island (and this number is ever-changing), this has been a mammoth task. The project has been running whilst we’ve been doing other significant tasks in Operations like the recast of some parish rounds and setting up new SecureDrop location instructions, so it’s taken quite a while to complete.

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ROB WIDDOWSON Senior Project Manager, Jersey Post

W H AT P R O G R E S S H AV E YO U M A D E S O FA R ?

We’re now at the stage where we can start moving existing applications such as the parcel sorting machine onto the SIAM database and relabelling the sorting frames with the new labels. This will be happening over the next few weeks. It’s not going to be a quick or easy task, and due to the amount of data involved, we do expect that there will be some addresses that are not quite right. For the next couple of weeks, we will work with the delivery officers, who are the experts on the rounds, to check what needs changing as there could be some addresses that are in the wrong order on the sorting frame and need moving.

HOW DOES THIS IMPROVE C U R R E N T O P E R AT I O N S ?

With all the applications using the same address data throughout, there will be fewer errors. It means that if an address changes in one system, it will be updated across all the systems as they are linked together, meaning no out of date information will be stored.

Moving forward, this opens up many opportunities for us as a business, and very soon, we will be piloting a digitised SecureDrop service in St Mary with the hope of rolling it out island-wide. This will enable us to put an electronic tag (eTag) at each address subscribing to the service, which can be read using the delivery scanner by the delivery officer when they go to attempt delivery. The eTag will tell them the SecureDrop location and other information for a successful delivery. It means that there is no need to carry the big book of delivery information on the round, and the information will be up to date, so less chance of mistakes being made.

In the future, we can begin to link more information to the address on the SIAM database, such as opening times for businesses. This means that when a delivery officer scans their deliveries onto their vehicle, the scanner can alert them if the business is closed and not to take the parcel out. It will make deliveries in future much more efficient.

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W H AT ’ S N E W ?

Around the Group New Starters | Long Servers | Internal Changes | Achievements F I N D O U T S W H AT ’ S G O I N G I N A N D A R O U N D T H E J E R S E Y P O S T G R O U P

New Starters

Long Servers

Gary Lindsay

10/04/21

Postal Operative

Alan Tardivael

21/04/81 Postal Worker

40 year

Andy Green

10/04/21

Postal Operative

Kane Blackmore

29/04/91 Postal Worker

30 year

Martin Monamy

10/04/21

Postal Operative

Andrew Le Masurier 02/04/01 Postal Worker

20 year

Danielle Carruthers

10/04/21

Postal Operative

Charles Canham

18/04/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Kevin Lovatt

10/04/21

Postal Operative

Sean O'Shea

18/04/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Daniel McMillan

04/05/21

Postal Operative

Paul Davis

10/05/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Codie Balleine

17/05/21

Postal Operative

Michael Taylor

14/05/01 Postal Worker

20 year

Paul Insley

17/05/21

Postal Operative

Tricia Cowburn

16/05/11 Intl. Admin Manager

10 year

Sue Harvey

01/06/21

Postal Operative

Amy Farnham

17/05/11 Parcels Operations Admin

10 year

Helen Kemp

01/06/21

Marketing Manager - FTC

Silvio Soares

23/05/11 Chef

10 year

John Le Quesne

07/06/21

Postal Operative

Jeanette Haworth

31/05/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Rebekah Matheson

28/06/21

Philatelic and Marketing Executive

Artur Raczynski

31/05/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Laura White

28/06/21

Postal Operative

David Gibaut

18/06/01 Postal Worker

20 year

Danny De Sousa

28/06/21

Postal Operative

Thomas Greechan

18/06/01 Parcels Manager

20 year

Adam Brown

01/07/21

Programme Manager

David Lawrence

29/06/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Richard Gaudin

01/07/21

Commercial Director of Vaiie

Jeffrey Clark

02/07/01 Postal Worker

20 year

Stephen White

01/07/21

Managing Director (HICS)

Amanda Cozens

25/07/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Vicky Jardim

12/07/21

Postal Operative

Antonio Almeida

25/07/11 Postal Operative

10 year

James Stearn

12/07/21

Postal Operative

Gordon Henderson

25/07/11 Postal Operative

10 year

George Dobrea

12/07/21

Postal Operative

Nick Hogan

25/07/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Richard Holley

13/07/21

Postal Operative

Fredrick Durose

25/07/11 Postal Operative

10 year

Internal Changes

Congratulations to all staff members on their recent achievements.

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Liam Overend

Secondment for Operations Manager from 20/03/21

Sarah Angell

Changed to Product Manager from 12/04/21

Angela Hamon

Changes to Marketing Manager from 16/08/21

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