Whistl, the second largest postal operator in the UK, has announced a number of client wins from competitors and significant client contract renewals. Major client wins from competitors include a 20 million items per year contract for Dixons Carphone Warehouse which was held jointly by UK Mail and Secured Mail. From Secured Mail a 37 million item per year contract for mailing house OTM Opus Trust Marketing and QVC from Royal Mail.
Whistl’s launch client in 2004 Sky has renewed its contract; the AA has retained Whistl for its mailing activity in addition to renewals secured with Cotton Traders, Direct Wines and Synertec (who work closely with the NHS).
Other client contract renewals within the financial sector include Royal Sun Alliance, Swinton Insurance, Standard Life on a five year contract and Allied Irish Bank. Whistl already works with Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and Danske Bank in Northern Ireland and is the only national alternative postal operator in the province.
Within the charity sector Whistl has renewed a contract with Macmillan and other notable client renewals include long standing client Hillary’s Blinds, M&Co Stores, and Webmart the print management company.
Nick Wells CEO, Whistl said: “The range of new client wins and contract renewals we have secured reinforces Whistl’s strength in the postal market. We are committed to providing the best client service in the sector and our collaborative way of working with existing and new clients’ delivers efficiency and cost savings for them and improved service for their customers. Clients trust Whistl to deliver for them.”
Whistl also highlighted a seven year deal with Edinburgh-based Aegon, to collect, sort and transport 10 million items of mail a year. According to Whistl, the contract is “thought to be the longest in the history of the deregulated postal market”.
Commenting on the deal, Nick Wells, the CEO of Whistl, said: “Whistl has gone from strength to strength in Scotland since we opened our first depot ten years ago. We moved last year to a new site three times the size as the one in Coatbridge and the securing of an unprecedented seven year deal with a key client reflects on the professionalism of our team and trust the client has in us to deliver a high quality service. ”
In the fourth quarter of last year, Whistl completed a management buyout from PostNL, which retains a 17.5% shareholding in the company. Whistl had a turnover of £600m in 2015 and handled 3.8bn items of mail.