the BIG interview “We are passionate about our solution
to the fulfilment problem” This month, in our popular series profiling major figures in the sector, we speak to Pier Ronzi, Co-founder & CEO of logistics company Weengs, to find out more about his career and the company, and to hear his thoughts on how independent retailers can compete in a busy market and ensure their customers keep coming back to them.
P
ier Ronzi’s journey to CEO of a logistics company was not what might be termed traditional, as he
explains. “I come from a pretty different background, having spent most of my career as a management consultant at McKinsey before joining Weengs. During my time there, I was exposed to a range of industries, but over time I started to specialise more in travel, transport and logistics. After eight years at McKinsey, I was ready for a new challenge and thought that the startup world was a great place I could learn from and contribute to. When I met with my co-founders Alex and Greg, I fell in love with what they were offering a solution for. It was a real and complex problem and it was literally keeping retailers up at night. Now we are helping them on a very inspiring journey.”
He is keen to explain how the business came about. “In 2015, two of the founders, Alex and Greg were looking to move to London from the US - but quickly discovered that getting their stuff shipped was extremely complicated. As serial entrepreneurs, they had a hunch there was a problem to solve. We started operating Weengs from a small flat in Wapping and before long were joined by top tier Venture Capital investors (Local Globe, Cherry Ventures, Seedcamp and Venture Friends) who also believed in the problem we were solving and helped us to expand to reach more retailers. “Now, Weengs has already saved its retail
partners over 500,000 hours in total through the service we offer and the time saving it creates. We are working with over 500 small, independent, businesses in London, and have consistent 300% YoY growth for the last three years. Working with companies from different backgrounds - from fashion to hardware - we are passionate about our solution to the fulfilment problem and want to offer it to
more people, helping them grow and thrive in an ever-changing online environment.” Turning to the competitive landscape, Pier has some words of advice for smaller retailers looking to compete with bigger organisations.
“There are many important factors when it comes to small businesses competing with big names. Finding a niche, staying ahead of trends, and offering a personalised service are all things that bigger retailers often struggle with, and places where small businesses can pick up the slack. But most importantly, in 2019, it is about making the most out of an online presence. By 2040, it is thought that 95% of purchases will be facilitated by e-commerce, and small businesses need to be involved with that.” So, if that’s the case, how can retailers
make the most out of their online presence?
“Today, small businesses can have a presence online that is just as professional as the big players - it is simply about using the right tools to get there. Luckily for retailers, there’s a whole suite of services that can automate every step of the customer journey - for
As far as that solution goes, Pier is clearly passionate about ensuring retailers are able to use e-commerce to keep their businesses growing. “Weengs exists to keep e-commerce moving and retail entrepreneurs thriving. Weengs is a hassle- free logistics solution for e-commerce businesses who are looking to ship from store. We collect their online orders directly from the retailers. We then package their items back at our warehouse and ship to their customers from there. We provide a seamless experience for our retailer’s customers, which increases consumer confidence in buying from them and any other smaller retailers.”
10 |
www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk April 2019
”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
