Passing the Mic: Introducing ZigZag’s Partnerships Director Matthew Jacques
We took five minutes with Matthew for another ZigZag Chinwag.
The UK sees millions of returns fly around the country every single week. Whether you’re a carrier service or 3PL moving returns from vans to warehouses or a tech provider watching your dashboards light up with returns requests…the volume of retail returns is both alarming and exciting.
There are two ways to get involved in the world of returns. They can either become a partner, joining ZigZag’s extensive logistics network or tech partner programme, or they can white-label our returns solution. Either way you’ll end up dealing with our Partnerships Team…enter Matthew.
Since late 2020, Matthew has spearheaded ZigZag’s Partnerships team. His department is dedicated to helping ZigZag clients provide a great returns experience to showcase their own services or access the leading reverse logistics providers around the world.
Matthew’s 27 years’ experience has taken him all across retail and logistics, so we thought we’d pick his brains a bit…
Tell us a bit about your background, where have you worked previously?
“I’ve had a long career in retail starting in the mail order business which was the foundation of many early eCommerce brands. Sadly, the Innovations Catalogue online didn’t catch on but other brands began a digital transformation at this time into what is The Very Group now, it was exciting time that culminated in me running an online brand of my own. I’d seen first-hand by then how important deliveries and returns were to success so when I got the chance to join the start-up Collect+ and introduce PUDO services to the UK it was a natural progression. Collect+ grew to be the market leader and after time in outbound delivery with Yodel, I joined ZigZag in 2020.”
What was your first ever job in technology/retail/logistics, and did you enjoy it?
“Sainsbury’s on the checkouts and pushing trolleys on a Saturday when I was 15. I liked being part of a team and serving the customers, but the Store Manager used to make me wash his company Vauxhall Cavalier in all weathers which I knew he wasn’t supposed to. So, I did it deliberately badly (including only washing the driver’s side) until he stopped asking, knowing he couldn’t take me to task on it.”
Luckily our CEO has not considered asking this of our Marketing Interns just yet…
What is the best thing about leading our partner relationships?
“My team and I get to work with leading carriers and 3PL’s around the globe providing our returns technology to them for resale to their client base. The breadth of clients they serve and the solutions we create for them makes for a role that is different every day.”
Which retail, logistics or tech companies do you most admire and why?
“What3words and their singlemindedness in creating the use cases to drive adoption of their idea.”
What3words has divided the world into 3 metre squares and assigned a unique combination of three words. For those looking to find ZigZag’s address, you could type “reject.heat.tight” into the What3words app and be taken to our office door…three words very appropriate at the time of writing as the UK suffers the hottest week in its history.
The company makes finding people and property entrances easy and accurate. Offering precise locations ensures less missed deliveries, less CO2 emitted, and most importantly, faster aid to those in an emergency. A very innovative idea that is adoption is quickly sweeping the logistics world.
What are you most excited about to be working on at ZigZag?
“Some real added-value services for our client base that see us expand further into the post-purchase ecosystem and will delight their customers.”
We are currently developing refund to gift card and live exchanges features on our award-winning platform with a selection of early adopter retailers. Both innovations help save the sale and keep cash in the business for online retailers whilst improving on customer experience and fostering loyalty.
You can get in touch with our team today if you would like to explore the functionality in the run up to peak!
What do you think is the best retail innovation and why?
“Amazon Go, a textbook example of how technology can be applied to minimise the pain points of a physical process. The prices consumers are paying for goods that are widely available from the competition diminishes in importance in comparison to the experience of buying them.”
You’re planning the trip of a lifetime around the world (COVID aside!) – where are you heading to first?
“Ibiza.”
The Spanish Island is a popular holiday destination for a number of ZigZaggers. Fortunately, we don’t tend to talk shop outside of business hours. So, you’re unlikely to hear a conversation breaking out about the increasing adoption of our paperless solution at the pool party bar.
And finally, what kind of returner are you?
“Other… I don’t fit any of your labels I’m a free spirit.”
We couldn’t pin Matthew down as a particular returner from last year’s study into the 5 personas of eCommerce returners. Either he is hiding his online shopping habits from his significant other…or we need to investigate the Free Spirit 6 persona type!