Yorkshire Day, 1st August 2024: Leeds-based Evri is celebrating its 50th year of courier deliveries today, on Yorkshire Day. You’d be forgiven for thinking Evri is a relatively new household name, the roots of Evri can be traced back to 1974 as Grattan mail order in Bradford.
Martijn De Lange, CEO of Evri, said: “In our 50 years we’ve witnessed mail order evolve to introduce the first-ever telephone ordering service, a shift from printed publications to online ordering and the introduction of next day deliveries. As we look back in fondness at the past half century, we are also focussed on delivering for our customers and clients in the UK and overseas now and over the next 50 years and more.” “People are still feeling cost-of-living pressures, high levels of inflation and higher interest rates, although stabilising, have all exerted pressure on disposable income and spending power. However, the phenomenon of home shopping continues to grow and evolve, and we have been quick to respond to this as the fastest-growing parcel delivery service.”
The Evri business started with just seven couriers; the families of directors packed and delivered parcels to local customers; this is where the home delivery model was launched. In the early nineties, Evri had 1,000 couriers, covering 60% of the UK and delivering parcels two to three days a week. Fast forward to 2024 and Evri is a Leeds-based UK success story, with more than 20,0000 couriers and 8,000 employees, delivering more than 730 million parcels each year to over 220 destinations worldwide. Evri’s huge success and growth over the past 5 years can in part be attributed to the rise of online shopping during the pandemic, Evri has revealed that over 60% of consumers in its home county of Yorkshire receive up to 4 deliveries per week to their home.
Yorkshire-based consumers are sensible with their purchases, with most (over 80%) spending below £150 a month online, with groceries and clothing being people’s top priority.
The celebration comes ahead of a report due to be released in the coming week to mark its 50th year. The report will look back at the changing nature of retail and ecommerce over the last five decades and will provide expert insight into changing retail trends, consumer confidence and shifts within the communities it delivers to.The delivery business has changed so much over the years, speaking with, Debbie Sharkey, who has been working for the for business for 35 years as a customer service advisor, she shared some of the changes she’s seen over her time with the business. “Originally, I worked on the phones taking orders for purchases from the Grattan catalogue, flexibility was important for me a young mum with a one-year-old and I worked the night shift, my daughter now works here as well and has done for 12 years. The biggest change I’ve seen over my time is the shift to homeworking during the pandemic.”
Debbie also recognises the change in technology, as she went on to say, “Technology’s impact is undeniable, I can with hazy memories recall green writing on computers and records being on microfiche, a really old method of storing data, the ability to have so much data at my fingertips now is much more efficient for the customer experience. The one thing that has been a constant is my headset though, albeit it’s much more modern now.”
Evri is delivering more than 730 million parcels a year. The company has a mission to be the most convenient way to send, receive and return parcels, without costing the earth. Evri works with most of Europe’s top retailers, marketplaces and pre-loved sites. The roots of Evri can be traced back to Yorkshire in 1974 but the business has grown over the decades and now has a team of 8,000+ employees, 20,000+ couriers, 15,000+ out of home locations and a growing network of state-of-the-art hubs and depots. Evri has more than 3 million independent 5-star Trustpilot reviews, on-time delivery rates which surpass 99%, an average courier rating of 4.7/5, and a commitment to provide an answer for everyone following a significant investment in customer experience.
