#IWD2023: Alex Speed, Head of New Business

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As the UK’s leading gift voucher, corporate rewards and Christmas Savings business, we want to turn our attention to recognising the incredible women in our company to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.

International Women’s Day has said its focus lies with embracing equity – creating a fairer society by adapting services and policies to people’s diverse lived experiences. As a company, we also believe that equity is not just a nice-to-have – it is a must-have.

To celebrate a world where difference is valued and celebrated, we have invited five especially inspiring women from our company to talk about their experiences of work during their careers. Here is Alex’s story.

When your typical working day involves dealing with people falling off hotel balconies and having motorcycle accidents it pretty much prepares you for anything.

That was Alex Speed’s life as a Club 18-30 holiday rep early in her working life. And it was an experience that gave Alex a lifelong liking for jobs that have the capacity to offer the unexpected.

In her current role as Head of New Business Development for Love2Shop the daily events aren’t quite as dramatic – but it still offers enough variety to keep Alex motivated.

“I always say working for Club 18-30 set me up for life. Yes, there were crazy parties and staying up late. But most of the job was dealing with absolutely barmy people. You couldn’t imagine what it was like. But I loved it.”

Alex was recruited to Love2shop to manage the team responsible for ‘onboarding’ new clients. Onboarding is the process of bringing a new client to the business and finding out exactly what they need.

“On average, we will onboard around 1,200 new clients a year. When we bring a new client in, it could be anything from someone ordering £500 or £5m a year of Love2shop vouchers or cards codes.

“The team and I will delve a bit further. We go well beyond just the basic transaction, asking them to ‘tell us a little bit more about what you are looking to do’.

“It could be for employer rewards, could be for a big customer acquisition, loyalty campaigns. It is really just about understanding the client’s needs.”

Alex’s eight-strong team works proactively to bring in new business. She added: “If we are working with a client in a particular sector, it’s likely we will then go after their competitors and look to secure them as clients as well.

“I have always done new business. New business is a challenge. It’s exciting – something different every day. I have worked in the industry for 25 years and I still love it.”

Change is important to Alex and she has seen a huge shift in workplace culture during her working life. It wasn’t so long ago that she was still having to navigate the culture of the ‘boys’ club’.

Brought up in Wirral, she spent several years in the travel sector working for the likes of Airtours and Cosmos straight after school She lived and worked across Europe, India, Africa and the US, as well as London.

She has no regrets about 18-30 but added: “In the end you can only do that for so long. It was a six-day week and the hours were so long. You were on the clock the whole time.

“In the travel industry there was often no work during the winter so when I was in my mid-20s I walked into a recruitment office to look for temporary work. They said ‘have you ever thought about working in recruitment?

“I did that for about two years. Then a job came up with one of my clients and they invited me to apply. It was a sales and incentives role.”

She found herself in a very male-dominated environment. In one job, despite working in an executive role, Alex’s sales director treated her as his PA.

“You were treated very differently just because you were a woman,” she said.

“When I went to visit clients, I would be sat in reception and they would come out and they would be looking around for Alex ‘the man’. As soon as you said, ‘Hi, I’m Alex’ they were clearly surprised.

“I like to think I took advantage of that. Internally, in that particular business it was probably a barrier to progression because there is no doubt it was a boys’ club. It was the incentive I needed to move on.”

Alex joined Love2shop 15 years ago and says she has seen huge changes.

“The culture in this business has changed so much since I joined that it’s like working for a different company. It used to have a very old-fashioned 1980’s feel. The physical office we worked in made it feel even more like that.

“Now we are a much more open and inclusive environment. Things had to change. We worked in a different world. And I think key to that shift in culture was the change in the senior leadership team.

“What is so wonderful now is the complete transformation in workplace culture. Nowadays, if someone said or did something inappropriate you know you don’t have to tolerate it.

“Now you have confidence that if you go to your manager, or to HR, something will be done. Stuff that happened in the past is much less likely to happen now.”

What have you discovered about yourself during your career?

I really enjoy a challenge and I embrace change and not knowing what each new day will bring. It is exciting.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

Enjoy your job. You spend most of your week there. If you don’t enjoy it, move on.

Best advice from a mentor?

Stop worrying about the things you cannot change or influence yourself.

What would you do differently if you had to do it again?

I wouldn’t change a thing. I accidentally fell into this career and I have loved every second.

Biggest lesson learned?

To always stand up for yourself. We are just as capable as men.

What would you say to someone starting out?

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Find your own way of doing things that works for you.

Read our previous blogs…

What is customer acquisition

What is Customer Acquisition?

50 Employee Perks

50 Employee Perks to Offer Staff

What is customer acquisition

Customer Acquisition Strategy

#IWD2023: Janine Murphy, Fulfilment Manager

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As the UK’s leading gift voucher, corporate rewards and Christmas Savings business, we want to turn our attention to recognising the incredible women in our company to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.

International Women’s Day has said its focus lies with embracing equity – creating a fairer society by adapting services and policies to people’s diverse lived experiences. As a company, we also believe that equity is not just a nice-to-have – it is a must-have.

To celebrate a world where difference is valued and celebrated, we have invited five especially inspiring women from our company to talk about their experiences of work during their careers. Here is Janine’s story.

“Same place, different world,” sums up Janine Murphy’s experience of the transformation she has seen during 27 years with Love2shop.

First joining as a teenager in the late 1990s, Janine walked into what she described as a “man’s world” where you simply put your head down and got on with the job.

Today, she confidently leads a team of people, which in the run-up to Christmas can be as many as 50 people. She is also free to implement her own ideas on how her part of the business should run.

“Some people don’t like change. They think, ‘Well, this is the way it has always been, and this is the way it should stay’. But that’s not necessarily the best way to do things,” said Janine.

Janine is the company’s Fulfilment Manager. Based in Wirral, she runs a permanent team of eight people packing and dispatching letters, statements, catalogues and vouchers.

“We send out Love2shop products and third-party products. We have our own Love2shop card and Love2shop voucher. We also sell third-party products such as Marks & Spencer gift cards.

“We make sure customer orders are packaged and fulfilled to the customer’s requirements. Making sure things are sent out on time.

“For a few months of the year I am in charge of 40-50 temporary staff that come in to help us fulfil the Christmas savings customers’ orders.”

Janine was just 18 when she walked into the Valley Road site for the first time. She was taken on as a temporary Christmas worker. She was asked to return soon after and worked for the company on a temporary basis for two years.

“When a full-time job for an assistant came up in the office I was approached and that’s when I joined the business permanently. I have been here ever since.

“When I first walked in it was very much a man’s world in those days. Very old-fashioned. But you just put your head down, did what you were told to do and got on with it.

“Back in my day, you would never see a female director or any women among the management.

“Around 15 years ago, I started to see signs of changes. New staff came into the office. I worked with the first female director, Denise Porter.

“She was involved in the Love2shop vouchers and marketing, and she brought in new ideas and offered a fresh perspective.

Janine began to really enjoy the ways in which the business was changing, as female peers and senior managers became more visible.

However, it was more recent events that allowed Janine to realise her full potential. When a manager became unexpectedly absent during the COVID pandemic, it prompted her to step up to the plate.

“Initially it was panic stations,” she said. “There were suddenly so many things I didn’t know. It was a real challenge and in some ways I really enjoyed it. I learned so much during that period.

“The past year had been the first time the fulfilment operation had properly come under my control. I was finally running it the way I imagined it and for me that was a real achievement!”

It is during the few months leading up to Christmas, when there is a big influx of temporary staff, that Janine really had to demonstrate her fast-developing managerial flair.

She explained: “When temporary staff come in you are suddenly dealing with a range of diverse people – different ages, temperaments, attitudes. You have some loud people, some quiet people, and a big part of my job at that point is managing all those different personalities.

“I am very much a listener. I listen a lot to what is going on around me. That, I think, is how you learn.

“As a manager you have to listen to people. I don’t think you can be a good manager if you are not listening to what your team is saying.”

What have you discovered about yourself during your career?

I have learned to trust my own instincts.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

I wish I had the confidence back then to know what I was really capable of.

Best advice from a mentor?

Believe in myself – I can do it.

What would you do differently if you had to do it again?

Speak up more.

Biggest lesson learned?

Just because something has always been done a certain way it doesn’t mean it is the right way.

What would you say to someone starting out?

Never be afraid to ask questions.

#IWD2023: Brenda Mills, Head of Services and Experience Operations

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As the UK’s leading gift voucher, corporate rewards and Christmas Savings business, we want to turn our attention to recognising the incredible women in our company to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.

International Women’s Day has said its focus lies with embracing equity – creating a fairer society by adapting services and policies to people’s diverse lived experiences. As a company, we also believe that equity is not just a nice-to-have – it is a must-have.

To celebrate a world where difference is valued and celebrated, we have invited five especially inspiring women from our company to talk about their experiences of work during their careers. Here is Brenda’s story.

Early on in Brenda Mills’ corporate career she often found herself as “the only woman in a room of 10 men”.

“I have never been intimidated by that – but I would think ‘but where are all the women?’” said Brenda. “Over the years I have had to develop a tough skin.

“I am quite tough anyway and if I think morally or ethically something is wrong, I will not be afraid to say so – I will dig my heels in.

Brenda joined Love2shop (then Park Group) in 2002. She had never worked in an office in her life before and initially felt like a fish out of water. But having left her home in the Dingle in Liverpool to work overseas aged just 17, she is nothing if not adaptable.

Two decades on and Brenda plays a pivotal role in the Love2shop operation. She is Head of Services and Experience Operations, overseeing the customer care centre with three teams – Park Christmas savings, High Street Vouchers and card services – employing 33 people.

She is also head of the team that supports the Love2shop sales force. This is as well as overseeing the travel department and the warehouse and redemption site in Birkenhead and a small team in Newcastle MBL. The fraud risk and change managers both report to Brenda.

Back in her teenage years, Brenda’s career path looked very different. She trained in dance at Liverpool Theatre School and at 17-years-old, she was offered a place on a dance show tour of Spain.

Her dad told her, “You are not going anywhere!” But, in the end he gave in.  She added: “I had worked in multiple countries before I was 21, including Spain, Greece, Egypt, Croatia (then Yugoslavia) and Oman. I was in Cairo for a year which was amazing.”

Brenda settled in Bahrain where she established a ballet centre. Teaching children from 3 – 16 years old. Working with children from all over the world was a privilege.

“But I was also a bit of a Del Boy! I was the only person on the island to have two bouncy castles, which I rented out! And my friend and I provided magazines for the ex-pat clubs; that’s where I learned about sales and putting catalogues together.

“Travel has shaped my life enormously, especially from a people perspective. My husband was a money broker so we would mix with expats who were experts in their field from all over the world. You could have a top surgeon and advisors to kings at a dinner party. And there is me, a little scouser, in the middle of it all.

“That period was probably one of my steepest learning curves. I met a real mixture of people, from all cultures and works of life. It made me look at people differently and understand that everyone has the same fears and that we are not that different.”

Brenda lived in Bahrain for 13 years before returning to the UK in the early 2000s with “a husband, a daughter, a cat and a 40-foot container”. She then joined Love2shop.

“I think I have been quite fortunate in the way I started at the bottom in this business. Before working for Love2shop I had never worked in an office in my life, or even in the UK,” she explained.

“I would think, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know what I’m doing’. “If someone would have said to me back then that I would eventually be training and developing people myself I would never have believed them.”

However, within a year, Brenda had found her feet and started to move up the management ladder.

She said: “I am from a big and very hard-working family. My dad, who I lost quite young, was such a hard worker and he instilled that into us. We don’t expect anything for free and my whole family is pretty much like that. He also taught us never to take ourselves too serious.”

She took another leap of faith and moved into the corporate side of the business. Last year, the departure of her manager gave Brenda the opportunity to step up into her current role.

Reflecting on her work and philosophy, as well as the changing role for women in the business, she added: “Things have changed so much over the years.

“It is really important to bring my guys along with me. I have some amazing people in my team and I love watching people develop. In the last 10 years I’ve seen a shift. There are now a lot more women in important and senior positions – which I hope inspires the young generation.

“The culture here is so good now. I am very approachable and as managers, we have a responsibility to be approachable and to really listen to the people in our teams. You have to bring everyone along.

“Two of the team leaders on my previous team were apprentices. In the last year or so, there has been a big move in internal recruitment and that has shown people what they can aspire to.

“We cannot become complacent. If things change, be on-board and listen [to others]. It is about me listening to people and understanding that not everyone’s needs are the same. Fairness is a big thing for me.”

And does Brenda still like to dance? “Only on the dancefloor on a night out- or when no one is looking.”

What have you discovered about yourself during your career?

I am resilient and I am not afraid to face my fears.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

Things will be ok and spend less time worrying

Best advice from a mentor?

Always keep the customer at the forefront and maintain a balance between the business and the people. Work smarter not harder.

What would you do differently if you had to do it again?

Not disregard what I have learned from awful things that may have happened. Always pocket the learnings.

Biggest lesson learned?

Invest in your team, listen and communicate.

What would you say to someone starting out?

Build internal relationships, knowledge is key, don’t be afraid to speak out and always know you are in control of your own path.

Read our previous blogs…

What is customer acquisition

What is Customer Acquisition?

50 Employee Perks

50 Employee Perks to Offer Staff

What is customer acquisition

Customer Acquisition Strategy

#IWD2023: Suzanne Haycock, Head of Service Management (Technology)

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As the UK’s leading gift voucher, corporate rewards and Christmas Savings business, we want to turn our attention to recognising the incredible women in our company to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.

International Women’s Day has said its focus lies with embracing equity – creating a fairer society by adapting services and policies to people’s diverse lived experiences. As a company, we also believe that equity is not just a nice-to-have – it is a must-have.

To celebrate a world where difference is valued and celebrated, we have invited five especially inspiring women from our company to talk about their experiences of work during their careers. Here is Suzanne’s story.

Suzanne Haycock loves working in tech and relishes the challenges posed by its relentless pace of change.

However, it wasn’t her first choice. And it was only thanks to a disappointing set of A Level results that she found the path to what has become a very successful and rewarding career.

“I wasn’t that happy with my A Level results and I didn’t get what I wanted to study at university … I went to Teeside Polytechnic [now Teeside University] to study for an HND in Business Information Technology. I did that for a couple of years … I liked solving problems.”

More than two decades and several jobs later, Suzanne is now one of Love2shop’s newest recruits joining as Head of Service Management (Technology).

She and her six-strong team play a critical role in the smooth-running of a business that has undergone significant technological transformation.

“We are the single point of contact for all ‘business as usual’ technology, making sure the existing services we offer are running smoothly.

“My team will log incidents or issues around the services we provide. This could range from user access to loss of a business critical service. We need to react appropriately depending on impact and urgency. We also need to ensure any change that is being introduced into the business carries minimal risk.”

After completing her HND, Suzanne joined Liverpool City Council as a field engineer for about four years.

“Afterwards, I did some training on databases learning SQL+ and then joined another business as a system network technician for 20 years.

“However, I didn’t want to be crawling under desks for the rest of my career! I wanted to do other things. I wanted to utilise my SQL+ knowledge so I sought a role in management information and for that, I needed to do a degree.

“Shortly after putting myself forward for a Masters, I found out I was pregnant with my first child but carried on with the degree. At the end of the first academic year, I took one of my exams – the next day I gave birth!

“I returned to work a few months later and continued with my Masters. I took on a business analyst/project management role and I used a project that I worked on as my dissertation.”

Among work sectors, tech in particular has a reputation for being very male-dominated. Despite starting her career more than two decades ago, Suzanne says she was fortunate in her early roles.

“At Liverpool City Council, I had a manager who was actually quite progressive for the time,” she said. “He believed there should not be any barriers to women in tech.

“And I didn’t necessarily find that for a long time. I think it was more a case of opinions outside of work.

“People might say, ‘Oh, you work in an office so you must be a secretary’ but when I told them it was IT they would ask ‘What does that mean?’ and they may then ask you to fix their printer.

“There are more opportunities for women in senior roles now. The culture of having more men at the higher level is less apparent than before. Personal attitudes have changed. I think women are less likely to say: ‘I don’t think I can step into that role’.

However, Suzanne believes that too few girls are drawn to STEM subjects (science, engineering, technology and mathematics) at entry level.

“Unfortunately, tech still doesn’t attract enough women,” she added. “I don’t understand why as it is so flexible and adaptable. You can often work from anywhere in IT.

“There are always new challenges in IT. There is never a case where something cannot be improved. It is constantly changing because you have to take notice of changes. You need to take on the opportunities to learn anything new you can.”

Now a mother-of-two, Suzanne is impressed with what she has experienced at Love2shop since joining the business.

“There is a lot going on at the moment,” she said. “This is a very, very forward-thinking business. Even though there are a lot of people who have worked here a long time, I haven’t come across anybody who isn’t willing to try something new.

“Everyone is very open to change. There is no-one who has said ‘Oh we did that years ago, let’s not bother’.

“I think the culture here is very collaborative. I can’t think of anybody I couldn’t just go to and have a chat with to ask them for their thoughts about something. People are very supportive of each other.”

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?

That it is ok to say ‘no’. That you can be adaptable without being a doormat.

Best advice from a mentor?

To have confidence in my abilities. If I don’t know something straight away, I am able to figure it out.

What would you do differently if you had to do it again?

Take on more challenges or tasks that were outside of my comfort zone.

Biggest lesson learned?

Everything can be improved upon – don’t wait for things to be 100%.

What would you say to someone starting out?

Vary your learning opportunities. Before you specialise and find your niche, explore other things.

Read our previous blogs…

What is customer acquisition

What is Customer Acquisition?

50 Employee Perks

50 Employee Perks to Offer Staff

What is customer acquisition

Customer Acquisition Strategy

International Women’s Day 2023 – Time to Celebrate

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“Pausing to applaud

all the women who work here…”

As the UK’s leading gift voucher, corporate rewards and Christmas Savings business, we want to turn our attention to recognising the incredible women in our company to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.

This year – and beyond – International Women’s Day has said its focus lies with embracing equity. As a company, we also believe that equity is not just a nice-to-have – it is a must-have.

In line with that belief, we also recognise how important it is to understand the difference between ‘equity’ and ‘equality’. So allow us to explain: we support the pursuit of a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination; a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive.

To celebrate a world where difference is valued and celebrated, we have invited five especially inspiring women from our company to talk about their experiences of work during their careers.

Our colleagues offer a fascinating ‘now and then’ snapshot of how the world of work has evolved in their own lives. Many will draw inspiration from their stories, others may identify with their experiences and enjoy having that resonation and knowing a bit more about a colleague. Connection with others is key to a rewarding life after all.

“Amplifying the visibility and achievements of women … is more important than ever”

Claire Jones, People and Integration Director, (left) explains: “We may celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 once a year but it’s about so much more than just ‘one day’.

“Elevating, celebrating and amplifying the visibility and achievements of women in the workplace is more important than ever. IWD23 carries a strong message about the need to embed a culture of equity within our businesses so that – one day – that is the norm every day of the year.

“The day provides our company with a perfect opportunity to pause and applaud all the women who work here – not just as hard-working, loyal employees but as women who often have other responsibilities in life, too. Women who know all about managing the work-life balance.

“Employees of Love2shop are an incredible bunch for all sorts of reasons, and we thank them for their energy, their team-playing and intelligence, the volunteering they do in the local community, their collective drive, sense of humour and amazing commitment and loyalty.

“We have selected a handful of women we are particularly proud of in 2023 to represent all our women. And we decided to celebrate International Women’s DFay over five days, offering one insightful interview every day launching on March 8th.”

In the top photo from L-R: Hayley Bromley (Finance), Alex Speed (New Business) and Suzanne Haycock (Technology). The women of Love2shop we will be highlighting this week, are:

  • Alex Speed, Head of New Business Development. Alex revealed how change in corporate culture saw some people leave the business: “Change can make things a little more exciting and different… now we are a much more open and inclusive environment.”
  • Brenda Mills, Head of Services and Experience Operations. She recalls regular meetings where she was the “the only woman in a room of 10 men”. Brenda started her career as a professional ballet dancer before becoming an entrepreneur and eventually a senior Love2shop executive. She says: “There are more women in senior positions than before – which is how it should be.”
  • Hayley Bromley, Treasury Manager. Hayley began her adult life on the high seas – working as an operator mechanic on the radar and guns of an aircraft carrier in the Royal Navy. Since then, she’s discovered her main talents are in finance, and is now taking accountancy qualifications. “I now feel like I am in a very open and inclusive atmosphere.”
  • Janine Murphy, Fulfilment Manager. Janine was just 18 when she first walked into Love2shop’s fulfilment centre as a temporary worker. 27 years later she is running the operation. She described her early days in the business as “working in a man’s world”.
  • Suzanne Haycock, Head of Service Management (technology). Suzanne joined Love2shop just five months ago but is already impressed by the company’s progressive culture: “I think the culture here is very collaborative … People are very supportive of each other.”

Claire added: “We are encouraging our women to book into any of the online events available to celebrate International Women’s Day and to join our own internal events: one organised by parent company, PayPoint and one at our Liverpool headquarters.

“As a company, we are also committed to continue to strengthen equity in women’s working lives, and actively encourage women to be involved in technology, innovation and digital education – the brilliant themes for women everywhere in 2023.”

Internally, the company is inviting colleagues to attend an online event organised by parent company, PayPoint Group, when three more incredible speakers will share their inspiring stories.

Read our previous blogs…

What is customer acquisition

What is Customer Acquisition?

50 Employee Perks

50 Employee Perks to Offer Staff

What is customer acquisition

Customer Acquisition Strategy

The Love2shop Employee Value Report Press Release

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ONE-THIRD OF ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE UK – A STAGGERING 10 MILLION PEOPLE – FEEL UNDERVALUED AT WORK

• Eight in ten undervalued employees are looking for a new job elsewhere

• Over half of employees say productivity increases when they feel appreciated

• Rewards including gift cards would help workers feel more valued

• National study by leading multi-retail redemption provider Love2shop

One-third of all employees in the UK – almost 10 million people – feel undervalued at work, according to new national research revealed today.  

The ‘Love2shop Report’ commissioned by Love2shop, was designed to lay bare the scale of workplace happiness in 2022.  

It reveals the true value of employee rewards, with three-quarters of people (75%) saying companies who gift staff regularly are likely to attract a better calibre of employee, and 52% saying productivity increases when they feel valued by their employer. 

The report also found 41% of those who feel undervalued believe regular rewards by their employer would give them a greater sense of value, with the same number saying gift vouchers from their employer throughout the year would make them feel more appreciated. 

Nearly four-fifths (79%) of undervalued employees are looking for a job elsewhere, with that figure increasing to nine out of ten (90%) among the youngest demographic aged 18-24. 

The Love2shop Report found UK companies spontaneously gift employees an average of just 1.3 times a year, despite respondents reporting this number should rise to 2.3 times a year for employers to make staff feel valued.  

There is also a gender divide when it comes to workplace gift giving, with men receiving an average of 1.5 gifts a year compared to women receiving 1.2, the research found. 

Elsewhere, nearly half the report’s respondents (46%) have never received a spontaneous gift from their employer, while more than a third (36%) say their employer never, or hardly ever, acknowledges their work or actions. 

Shockingly, just 12% of employees strongly agree that their employers are generous. 

When it comes to a professional breakdown of happiness in the workplace, employees in publishing and journalism reported feeling the least valued at work, followed by those in the performing arts, then the environment and agriculture sectors.  

At the other end of the scale, property and construction, insurance and pensions, and law were the top three professions when asked about feeling valued at work. 

People in law enforcement and community reported receiving the fewest spontaneous gifts from their employer per year, at just 0.3, while those in business, consulting and management came top, with 2.4 per year. 

In terms of a geographical breakdown, workers in London and Northern Ireland feel the least appreciated, with an average value rating of five  out of 10 closely followed by those the East Midlands (5.5). Employees in the South West feel most valued (6.5), ahead of people in the West Midlands (6.1) and the North West (5.9). 

Elsewhere, a whopping 92% of workers who feel undervalued in the capital are currently looking for a new job, compared to only 42% of the same people in Yorkshire and the Humber. 

When it comes to rewards, six out of 10 employees say that days off, flexible working and gifting multi-retailer gift cards are the best ways of showing appreciation.  

If they were to receive a multi-retailer gift card, a staggering 89% would spend it on food, drink, or clothing – a survey result that experts attribute to the ongoing cost of living crisis – with 30% of them saying they would spend the voucher on their weekly shop. 

Asked about the value of employee rewards, over half of people (57%) say bonuses and regular rewards contribute to a feeling of being valued in the workplace, while 86% would feel valued at work if they received a surprise multi-retailer gift card or gift voucher worth £150, with only 7% saying it would not help them to feel valued. 

Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Love2shop, said: “The extent to which UK workers feel undervalued and under-appreciated is alarming.  

“The fact that one-third of staff feel undervalued should be a massive wake-up call for UK business, particularly in light of the report, which found almost half (49%) of people would feel a heightened sense of loyalty to their employer if they felt valued by them. 

“How undervalued employees are resolving this situation poses even greater concern. Our report’s data indicates that many will continue to vote with their feet by finding a business that does appreciate them. 

“This ongoing nationally recognised trend, now known as the ‘Great Resignation’, is costing companies a huge amount of unexpected expenditure in recruitment, training and time and that’s why it’s so important for more businesses to start making staff feel appreciated – by changing their attitude towards rewards. 

“We do understand it isn’t always easy for employers to know when to reward their employees – or by how much. That’s why we’ve compiled the Appreciate Report, which offers valuable insight when it comes to making staff feel valued while maintaining and increasing productivity levels.”  

To read the report, visit: https://business.love2shop.co.uk/appreciate-employee-value-report-2022/

Media enquiries to Alec Doyle, Senior PR Executive on: [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Survey data taken from a poll of 2,000 employed UK adults in August 2022 

About Love2shop   

Love2shop is a leading UK employee and customer engagement company. Its Love2shop products offer a fantastic choice of multi-retailer gifting rewards, helping businesses attract and retain employees and customers.  

With its award-winning digital platform, Love2shop enables clients to plan, launch, communicate and maintain incentive or reward programs with minimal effort while delivering performance improvement. 

Love2shop Business is part of Paypoint, home to many of the country’s most-loved gifting, pre-payment and engagement solutions including Park Christmas Savings, highstreetvouchers.com and Love2shop, driving digital innovation in gifting.   

Read more here: business.love2shop.co.uk

flexecash is the prepaid card platform that issues flexecash Love2shop Cards. This facility is provided by Park Card Services who are Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to issue electronic money. FRN: 900016. Love2shop Cards are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and as such we may need to complete an electronic identity check. 

 

 

Press Release

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Love2Shop Partners With Payment to Provide Vulnerable Brits with Emergency Support Amid the Cost of Living Crisis

Digital e-Code allows local authorities to efficiently deliver essential goods

Leading multi-retail redemption product provider, Love2shop, has partnered with digital payment expert, PayPoint, to help provide some of the UK’s most vulnerable residents with emergency support amid the cost of living crisis.

The new partnership will see both parties expand their range of solutions to provide local authorities across the country with a new way of servicing the most financially at-risk people within their communities.

The all-digital initiative sees local authorities equipping residents with emergency e-Codes that are selectively issued to vulnerable residents for spending in three essential categories within the Love2shop Essentials Range: Food, clothing, and electricals, and a fourth one allows users to draw upon two of the Essentials or more.

Within each of these categories, there is a select number of high street retailers from which users can exchange their Love2shop Essentials e-Code given the Love2shop choice. These include choice from Asda, Sainsburys, Tesco, Primark, and Argos.

The initiative means residents who need urgent assistance with a purchase, such as a fridge freezer or clothing, will have a way of accessing funds, while the Love2shop Essentials Range provides authorities with an efficient new alternative when it comes to supporting communities.

This type of flexible financial support is needed now more than ever, according to the experts, as the cost of living crisis continues to grip millions of UK households, with living costs soaring and prices across the board increasing at their quickest rate in decades.

That’s why Love2shop and PayPoint have worked to ensure the service is quick, simple and effective for both the user and the participating authority, which allocates which category, (or categories), the e-Code can be activated within.

Local authorities order funds online on behalf of a resident, which are delivered as an e-Code via SMS, email or in the post. Once provided to a resident via email or SMS, users go to the Love2shop website and activate or register their account, before entering the supplied e-Code.

After the code has been activated, users simply select ‘Exchange’ to view the list of available retailers, before adding a selected retailer to their basket and checking out. The retailer’s e-Gift Card will then be emailed within 48 hours.

Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Love2shop, said: “Love2shop is delighted to deliver the Love2shop Essentials Range for PayPoint as it strengthens its work with local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.

“When enabling vulnerable communities to receive critical funding to support them at a time when they need it most, local authorities can rely on Love2shop Essentials Range to deliver funds quickly, securely and safely.

“We provide a broad range of UK retailers through our Love2shop retailer partnerships allowing recipients of the funds to select their essential items from reliable brands, whether that’s food, clothing or electrical goods.

“As it is a digital activation and redemption process from start to finish, it is more secure than the cash equivalent, and can be used online, in addition to in-store, with the majority of the selected retailers.”

Danny Vant, Client Services Director for PayPoint, said: “This new scheme is simple for both the local authority and for the recipient of the funds. If a resident needs urgent help purchasing a new fridge, for example, the council will set up the e-Code to be used in one of four high street electrical retailers.

“However, if they need help buying food, the e-Code can be allocated for use in any one of five main supermarkets. With the cost of living crisis deepening, this type of flexible support is more important than ever, and it needs to be provided quickly to ensure the funds are available to help people immediately.”

About Love2shop

Love2shop is a leading gifting, prepayment and engagement company, and expert at creating joyful experiences and connecting people to the things in life they enjoy the most. Its purpose is to create more joy in the world by being trusted to help our customers with celebrating and rewarding. Love2shop is home to many of the country’s most-loved gifting, pre-payment and engagement solutions including Park Christmas Savings, highstreetvouchers.com and Love2shop, and is fast-becoming the home of digital innovation in gifting.

About PayPoint

For tens of thousands of businesses and millions of consumers, we deliver innovative technology and services that make life a little easier. The PayPoint Group serves a diverse range of organisations, from SME and convenience retailer partners, to local authorities, multinational service providers and e-commerce brands. Our products are split across three core business divisions.

If you have any media enquiries, please contact Niamh Gallagher, PR & Content Executive, at [email protected]

Cost of living crisis hits consumer and business

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Cost of living crisis hits consumer and businesses 

We live and work in an integrated global economy. We enjoy the good times together and we all take a hit when the storm clouds gather. 

COVID-19, Brexit and conflict in Ukraine combined to create a perfect storm for both businesses and consumers. UK inflation stands at 9.4%, a 40-year high, and a cost of living crisis is upon us. 

This is often framed in the context of individuals. People struggling to heat their homes, pay rent and mortgages, buy food, fill their car with petrol and afford childcare. 

And this is also a crisis for business. This was summed up in June by Martin McTague, chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), who said: “The cost of living crisis starts with a cost of doing business crisis”. 

SMEs drive our economy  

Around 99% of businesses in the UK are SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and there are 5.6m of them. They employ more than 16m people, 61% of the workforce. Their contribution to the national economy exceeds £200bn. 

According to the FSB, more than 400,000 SMEs disappeared during COVID lockdowns. Those that survived were just starting to put their heads above the parapet. Now they face fresh challenges. 

So-called producer price inflation, which includes input prices for firms, is up 22.1% over 12 months. Energy prices are soaring as are prices of raw materials. Supply chain constraints, made worse by Brexit, mean goods and raw materials are harder to get. 

A fifth of firms say input costs are their main concern, reports the FSB. It adds that many employers are struggling with labour and skills shortages. This was backed up by the Bank of England in July. It revealed two-thirds of companies were finding it “much harder” to recruit the right people. This further sends costs rising. 

Passing on the costs 

Higher costs, as well as hitting profits and investment, are eventually passed on to consumers. This pushes up inflation. Families face higher prices for essential and non-essential goods. Petrol prices and energy costs are soaring. 

And while people working from home may be able to reduce the cost of travelling to and from work, spending longer periods at home will push up their energy bills. 

The Bank of England will raise interest rates to combat rising inflation. This sparks a higher cost of borrowing for mortgage payers. It also means higher rents for those unable to get onto the housing ladder.  

However, people are finding they do have increasing leverage in the job market. And there is growing evidence they are prepared to use it. 

Workplace sees a seismic shift 

With labour demand outstripping supply, companies are offering higher salaries and more flexibility. COVID prompted a massive shift in the way we work. Post-COVID people are returning to their workplaces. However, millions still work from home either full or part-time. 

One recruitment consultant said earlier this year: “Prospective employees are looking more carefully at the culture of an organisation. More and more are looking for flexible/hybrid working… In the medium to long-term businesses need to change.” 

This is characterised as the so-called ‘Great Resignation’. It is a phenomenon that saw millions of workers quit their jobs during the pandemic. They left in search of a better quality of life. This exodus hit sectors such as hospitality particularly hard. 

Even before the pandemic, businesses were dealing with growing mental health issues. Stress-related absence costs UK employers £26bn every year, according to one estimate in 2019. 

COVID-19 worsened the problem. Data from Public Health England reveals the proportion of adults aged 18 and above reporting a clinically significant level of psychological distress stood at 20.8% in 2019. By April 2020 this had rocketed to 29.5%. Fewer people are now prepared to suffer stressful environments. 

Some employers respond by throwing money at the problem. They offer higher salaries and other financial incentives. However, smarter organisations recognise this paradigm shift demands a more sophisticated response. 

People want financial rewards but they also want to be valued in their work spaces. And they don’t want their jobs to take over their lives. They want more time with family and friends. Note the number of businesses now experimenting with four-day weeks. 

Value of incentives 

Love2shop reward products are available digitally or as a physical card and appeal to a wide audience. Recipients of the reward products can use them in multiple big-name UK retailers, including Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Heron Foods, ASDA, Primark, Boots, River Island and Argos. Consequently, recipients can use their reward gift for essential items or little luxuries. 

Building and timber supplier, Buildbase, is successfully rolling out a customer loyalty programme with the support of Love2shop. The programme incentivises those in the building and construction sector to spend more with Buildbase and in turn rewards its customers with Love2shop products. 

In hospitality, Love2shop provides an award-winning customer engagement platform. Food and drink supplier, Brakes, generated more than 60% of its revenues from their ‘Help for Hospitality’ programme during the period of the promotion. 

Additionally, in the finance industry, leading insurer, SunLife, uses Love2shop rewards to attract new customers and retain current ones. And in the healthcare sector, Love2shop reward products were used to recognise and reward care home staff during COVID-19. The full case study can be read here.  

Employers are increasingly taking the wellbeing of their people seriously, including financial wellbeing. Discount card schemes are just one way to help employees by alleviating some financial stress, which in turn, assists in overall wellbeing. Love2shop provides its employees with an ‘Everyday Benefits’ discount card, which helps cardholders to save money on day-to-day household expenses. It is also a product that’s proved popular with business too and many clients of Love2shop have implemented the Everyday Benefits card for their own employees.  

We are in the midst of economic turmoil and tough times are ahead. However, when the economic and cultural tectonic plates shift we discover new ways of living and working. Change is unsettling and also liberating. 

‘Our people are our greatest asset’ has been a mantra in the corporate world for two decades. Too often it’s an empty platitude. As we move into a new era, the companies that thrive will be those which make those words a reality. 

If you would like to discuss how Love2shop’s reward and recognition can work for your business, please get in contact.

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Turning The ‘Great Resignation’ Into The ‘Great Retention’

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The ‘Great Resignation UK’ isn’t a new term that’s emerged in the last few weeks, it’s the worrying, new term that deftly describes the global response of workers to the Covid pandemic, company culture, wage stagnation and ongoing cost of living crisis. It is the précis for: a mass resignation, change of jobs, search for a new way of life, desire for hybrid working, better pay and improved job satisfaction. Welcome to the challenges of 2022…

In the US, it’s called ‘The Big Quit’, with Microsoft Work Trend Index (2021) saying, “With over 40 per cent of the global workforce considering leaving their employer this year, a thoughtful approach to hybrid working will be critical for attracting and retaining diverse talent.” In Germany last summer, over one-third of the country’s companies reported a staff shortage, while the UK reported more than 1 million vacancies were available. So what does this summer look like for the UK’s staff retention?

HR Professionals Are Feeling The Burn

Most professionals working in HR, recruitment, talent acquisition or in sectors affected by the ‘Great Resignation’ will feel the new pressure to understand how to improve their company’s chances to retain and recruit staff.

Love2shop has one of the UK’s best-selling reward and recognition platforms. In the last year, Love2shop has increasingly been approached by a raft of sectors to discuss how their gifting rewards can be used to galvanise remuneration packages to attract new talent (and retain it), or more recently, help recognise the cost of living challenges being faced.

Love2shop Retailers - Iceland John Lewis Argos Heron Foods

Through the enormous choice of retailers and brands on the Love2shop gift products – stretching from luxury ones like John Lewis for a ‘treat’ or essential shopping brands such as Iceland, Argos or Heron Foods – Love2shop can provide ‘something for everyone’. This allows companies to buy in volume but not limit anyone from finding something to suit their needs.

It also reflects well on a company when it allows its employees to choose. When companies reward with an actual product, (think bottles of bubbly or bunch of flowers), it means an essential food shop is out of the question – and that might serve employees better right now. Equally, you never need to know so they can do it with dignity – and gratitude.

Four Million US Workers Have Quit Jobs Since 2021

The gravity of the job situation can’t be over-emphasised; many companies, large and small, face very real challenges to business growth as a direct result of being under-resourced and unable to attract into their industry the right sort of people. In the US, for instance, over four million workers quit their jobs since the post pandemic reset began in 2021. And in some global sectors, the average pay has been forced to sharply rise making smaller companies less able to compete in the recruitment face-off.

Boost Packages And Attract Staff With Reward and Recognition

How do you compete in the smaller pools of talent? Or engage and support your employees? Are there internal conversations exploring how to help them during this cost of living challenge? Now is a good time to make some decisions about quick but meaningful fixes that will retain and engage loyal employees or galvanise monthly income as its value dwindles in the face of our economic situation. And if you do want ‘something for everyone’, please contact our business team – everyone’s a good egg and happy to walk you through ideas.

Read our previous blogs…

What is customer acquisition

What is Customer Acquisition?

50 Employee Perks

50 Employee Perks to Offer Staff

What is customer acquisition

Customer Acquisition Strategy

2022 – the year that customers stop switching?

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This year, the emerging loyalty and acquisition challenge could lie with an unprecedented trend:  a marketplace where customers simply do not want to move.

Insurance customers will likely get better deals for staying with their current insurer. Similarly, despite the threat of higher energy prices, utilities customers are staying put too.

Recent research carried out by Love2shop explored whether customers are considering switching their broadband packages and it confirms that consumers aren’t looking for cheaper deals there, either.

The picture poses a problem for the teams managing customer recruitment targets this year, so how do you persuade people to switch if they don’t want to?

What do 1,500 people say about switching broadband?

When Love2shop asked 1,500 recipients of a Love2shop e-Gift Card if they were planning to swap to a cheaper broadband deal 81% said they were not looking for a cheaper deal. Only 1.3% said they were looking for a better broadband deal.

The results indicate that you could save budget and still enjoy better results in your loyalty and acquisition promotions by switching from rewards like cash and merchandise to non-cash rewards like gift cards.

There may be a glimmer of hope in the data: 18% of respondents indicated that they had switched to a new broadband deal recently, (at time of asking). However, paired with the prospect of low switching from other sectors, it is likely a difficult start to 2022 for sales, marketing, and acquisition teams.

The situation begs the question, what can we do to get closer to those targets?

How can we improve the offer for new customers?

When Love2shop asked the public what they prefer to receive as a loyalty reward, or as a reward for becoming a new customer, they picked gift cards on both counts. So sweetening the deal for the consumer doesn’t have to just involve slashing prices to attract attention from new customers when gift cards are easily accessible.

“Most teams will consider sweetening the deal with a reward, like a gift card or e-gift card before dropping prices to attract new customers,” said Alex Speed, Head of New Business at Love2shop.

“Non-cash prizes like gift cards costs less than an overall scale of price drops and still excites and attracts new customers. Over the lifetime value of a customer, the prize up-front is a cost-effective strategy to stand out to consumers.”

Or, double down on loyalty?

When we’re starting to see diminishing returns on marketing spend it’s prudent to consider switching attention to building loyalty, developing brand engagement, and, eventually, creating brand advocates.

“It might seem counter-intuitive to focus on loyalty when customers are already likely to stay, but it’s a huge opportunity to build long-term engagement that can help acquisition in the future.

“A sturdy engagement plan secures customers for another year and done well, retains them to help stabilise revenue. If this supports the conversion of the loyal, engaged customers into brand advocates and recruiters that adds even more to the ROI in an incentives strategy.”

One small change for big results

Regardless of how your business decides to tackle a changing market in 2022, it’s worth reconsidering how new customers and loyal customers are rewarded.

When Love2shop asked the public what they prefer to receive as a loyalty reward, or as a reward for becoming a new customer, they picked gift cards on both counts.

Read the survey results here.

Over to you

We’re always happy to hear more about your customer acquisition plans, and if we can help you reach your objectives this year, please do get in touch.