As head of developing markets at Wiggle, Justin Lodge defines the growth strategy for international territories, and leads country specific teams for the key markets. At EDC2015, Justin will be taking part in one of the panel discussion sessions, and says he’s keeping an open mind about what he’ll say. When he’s not at Wiggle, Justin is usually found enjoying some of the company’s products while cycling around the South Downs.
Justin Lodge, Wiggle
eD: Tell us about your role.
JL: I’ve been at Wiggle for two years now. I started off running the European business, moved into developing markets, and now head up customer services and process improvement. I’m basically the customer champion within Wiggle for our global customers. A typical day involves monitoring customer sentiment and service levels, and working on projects across the business to improve the customer proposition.
eD: And what’s the best thing about your job?
JL: It’s a great role being both customer centric and business wide. I get to poke my nose in everywhere and try to make a difference for our customers!
eD: Tell us something about the state of e-commerce in the cycling sector.
JL: My observation on sports and fitness is that it has been relatively slow to embrace e-commerce compared to other sectors, although the pace is certainly picking up now. Wiggle has an advantage in being one of the first movers in online cycling, but there is no doubt that the bar is being raised ever higher: it’s a competitive market.
eD: How do you handle returns?
JL: It varies according to country, but all returns come back to our new warehouse near Wolverhampton. Our key strategic territories have had local returns depots in country for several years now. This enables us to speed up the process for customers and keep costs down.
eD: Do you have the same peak periods as everyone else in retail or do you experience your own rhythms?
JL: We follow the same trading calendar as many other industries eg Christmas, winter sales, Black Friday etc. But then there are other peaks such as the Tour de France, and the first sunny weekend of Spring when everyone dusts off their bikes in their sheds!
eD: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges currently facing the retail delivery sector?
JL: I don’t think there’s been a more exciting time in retail delivery. The combination of retailer scale, customer expectation and technological developments mean there is unprecedented innovation and choice. At Wiggle we are continuously reviewing our delivery proposition to keep it compelling to customers, and provide reliability and value for the business. Now, more than ever, there’s a danger of getting left behind by your competitors and diminishing the overall attractiveness of your business offer.
eD: Why are you attending EDC2o15?
JL: To make sure Wiggle doesn’t fall into that trap! I always learn something here which I can take back and work on within the business.
eD: What will you be speaking about?
JL: I’m on a panel this year, so whatever people want me to talk about! I suspect it will centre on international logistics where Wiggle has a history at being at the forefront of innovation.
eD: What do you hope to learn, are there any of the other speakers you are looking forward to hearing from?
JL: I’m looking to learn from both the seasoned operators like Shop Direct and M&S, as well as the disruptive upstarts like Made. It should be an interesting day.
