Matalan-THG tech link will "transform customer experience”

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 21, 2021

Matalan has partnered with The Hut Group (THG), which will help the UK fashion and lifestyle retailer "accelerate its digital ambitions”.

The tie-up with THG Ingenuity begins in 2022 and will see Matalan migrating its digital channels to "deliver a transformed customer experience”.

The retailer said the partnership will result in “significant improvements throughout 2022”. This includes the addition of a multitude of customer-focused features, such as increases in product availability and choice, the ability to see store stock online, enhanced personalisation and a faster and scalable e-commerce operation.

Customers will also benefit from “significantly improved” customer service online, including live chat and faster response times.

The collaboration comes as Matalan also said a major investment in automation technology at its Knowsley Distribution Centre will help double its capacity to fulfil rapid online demand. It has also introduced a nationwide fulfil-from-store strategy.

James Brown, chief commercial officer at Matalan, said: “There’s an incredible sense of energy around the business as we gear up our digital transformation and prepare for the next pivotal phase in Matalan’s growth journey.”

He added: “Millions of families up and down the UK rely on us to offer great quality and value fashion and homeware, but we know that ultimately, it’s the customer experience that can make the real difference when choosing where to shop.

“That’s why we are dedicating so much of our focus to future-proofing our proposition through this digital transformation programme, across our stores, e-commerce site and Matalan app.”

John Gallemore, CEO of THG Ingenuity, added that the new strategic partnership “will significantly accelerate Matalan’s digital transformation strategy and represents a step-change in its direct-to-consumer operation. Even at this early stage in the process, we have together identified a sizeable pipeline of impactful upgrades to Matalan’s systems to make a real difference to its customer proposition across different channels.

“The brand will now benefit from THG Ingenuity’s proven end-to-end e-commerce capabilities and best-in-class infrastructure, with the aim of rapidly delivering valuable scale across the business.”