Matalan unveils market-first partnership with THG to accelerate digital ambitions

British retailer Matalan has today announced plans to accelerate its digital development in a market-first partnership with e-commerce and tech solutions provider, THG Ingenuity.

The new partnership looks to pick up the retailer’s expansion of online demand capacities and services through warehouse automation and a nationwide fulfil-from-store strategy in phase one of its road map. The first leg of the multiyear investment saw the fulfilment of automation technology to meet the retailer’s distribution centre and online demand.

The long-term partnership will see investment contributed to Matalan’s phase two, in 2022, during which it plans to migrate its digital channels and technology platform to THG Ingenuity to further its online growth and customer-focused offerings. The retailer’s existing in-house team will be collaborating closely with THG Ingenuity on the development of technology solutions, alongside day-to-day ownership and trading operations.

The strategic alliance will also see additional activation put in place, including the increase in product availability and choice, personalisation, enhanced e-commerce operation, courier tracking, improved customer service and the relaunch of its omnichannel loyalty programme.

John Gallemore, CEO of THG Ingenuity, said: "We’re delighted to announce this new strategic partnership, which will significantly accelerate Matalan’s digital transformation strategy and represents a step-change in its direct-to-consumer operation. The brand is a trusted household name, with great heritage and considerable growth across e-commerce, making it an exciting client with huge potential.

"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."

James Brown, Chief Commercial Officer at Matalan added: "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. Our teams have been working hard through this extraordinary period in retail to make sure that we achieve our exciting growth ambitions and meet significant customer demand in the years ahead. 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. “We are thrilled to have identified THG Ingenuity as a great partner who have impressed us with their extensive expertise, innovation and capabilities to accelerate the transformation of our business over the long-term, so that we can continue delivering ‘the Matalan Difference’."