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Our Strategy

The strategy we set out in 2018 remains just as relevant today – the last 12 months have proven this – delivering for all of our stakeholders, and building relationships and trust with our customers.
Graham Stapleton Chief Executive Officer

We set out a clear vision and purpose in September 2018, which remains unchanged. Our strategy is as relevant now as it was then, arguably more so given shifting markets and changes to consumer behaviour. We have achieved significant progress in recent years and will continue to invest in the execution of the strategy, for the benefit of all stakeholders.

1

Inspire our customers with a differentiated and super-specialist offer.

2

Support our customers through an integrated, unique and more convenient services offer.

3

Enable a Lifetime of motoring and cycling.

1 Inspire

Inspire our customers with a differentiated and super-specialist offer.

  • Transition from a general-specialist to a super-specialist.
  • Lead and differentiate our markets with customer-led innovation.
  • Redefine and further differentiate our own label ranges.
  • New customer experience in stores and garages, linking online and offline journeys.

2 Support

Support our customers through an integrated, unique and more convenient services offer.

  • Offer convenience through an integrated and expanded ‘on-demand’ service proposition across
    stores, garages and mobile.
  • Enhance the customer journey from booking through to service delivery.
  • Enhance our unique position in E-bike servicing in retail stores and hybrid and electric vehicle
    servicing in our garages with the most fully trained technicians outside the dealer network.
  • Increase awareness of Halfords services by leveraging the Halfords brand.

3  Lifetime

Enable a Lifetime of motoring and cycling.
• A more focused and targeted approach to loyalty at a Group level in order to optimise the lifetime value of our customers.
• Accelerating the development of our Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) programme, offering compelling reasons for our customers to return and shop across the Group.

To Inspire and Support a Lifetime of motoring and cycling

Putting Customers in the Driving Seat

Inspire our customers through a differentiated, super-specialist shopping experience

Objectives

Specialism

We will become a super-specialist by:

  • Increasing our online ranges of motoring and cycling products.
  • Investing in training with even greater focus on specialism.
  • Reducing our non-core products.

Innovation

We will lead and differentiate our markets with customer-led innovation by:

  • Utilising customer insight to develop products we know they want and need.
  • Working with suppliers to jointly create, and bring to market, innovative products which are exclusive to Halfords.

Customer Experience

We will improve our customer shopping journey online and instore by:

  • Continuing to optimise the Group’s web platform and the full omnichannel journey.
  • Focusing on personalisation by leveraging our Group-wide Single Customer View.
  • Improving the in-store experience by providing a more experiential, inspirational and service-led environment.

Progress made

  • Launched over 160 new customer enhancements to our group website, including ‘email me when in stock’, guided selling, local store stock availability, and personalisation.
  • Optimisation of cycling space in all Retail stores
  • Expanded our E-scooter range; introducing our first own-brand E-scooter and a greater number of products at a broader range of price points.
  • Transferred inbound phone and digital customer-contact from all 404 retail stores to a centralised, specialist team.

Priorities for the year

  • Project ‘Fusion’ remains an exciting opportunity and we will trial 2-3 towns in FY22. Fusion is ‘a customer experience seamlessly, consistently, and conveniently executed across all of our assets in a town’.
  • We will continue to invest heavily in our digital proposition, whether online through the Group web platform, or enabling the wider transformation agenda.
  • Through Project ‘Peloton 2’, we will significantly improve our PACs (“parts, accessories and clothing”) offering in Cycling, through better ranging, improved merchandising, and most importantly enabling our colleagues to provide customers with complete solutions to their needs.

Case studies

  • electric-scooter.jpg

    Carrera impel is-1

    This year, we launched our own-brand E-scooter – the Carrera impel is-1

    Read more

Support our customers through an integrated, unique and more convenient services offer

Objectives

Integrated

We will have a unified services identity across the Group through:

  • One seamless website, combining Halfords Retail, Halfords Autocentres and Halfords Mobile Expert.
  • Easy referral from Retail WeCheck findings to Autocentres booking.
  • Integrating the Services booking experience to include nearest available location and timeslot.

Unique

  • Offering customers access to our products and services via a unique combination of Retail stores, garages and mobile vans complemented by a strong online proposition.

Convenient

  • Combining our physical estate with a consistent mobile services offer and increased availability.
  • Full roll out and expansion of Halfords Mobile Expert to give most of the UK population access to our mobile services.
  • Future roll out of garages to reduce average drive time from 30 minutes to 20 minutes.

Progress made

  • Acquired The Universal Tyre Company, adding 20 garages to our fixed estate as well as 89 vans, enabling us to expand our coverage of the commercial market in FY22.
  • Rebranded 52 of our McConechy’s garages to Halfords Autocentres.
  • Launched new services including mobile towbar fitting and mobile tyre fitting in our Retail stores.
  • Rebranded 52 of our McConechy’s garages to Halfords Autocentres.
  • Launched new services including mobile towbar fitting and mobile tyre fitting in our Retail stores.

Priorities for the year

  • Increase our Mobile Expert van fleet to at least 200, bringing this popular service to more parts of the UK and giving us over 80% national coverage.
  • Increase the number of Autocentres, bringing us closer to our medium-term goal of 550 in the UK and ROI.
  • Continue to expand our B2B channel, in particular, building on the commercial business we established through our acquisitions of McConechy’s and Universal Tyres.
  • Lead the transition to an electric future by investing in training, technology and introducing new products and services, positioning Halfords as the leading voice of E-mobility.

Case studies

  • universal-tyre-company-vans-small.jpg

    The Universal Tyre Company

    In March, we announced the acquisition of The Universal Tyre Company

    Read more
  • mobile-expert-small.jpg

    Halfords Mobile Expert Expansion

    We have continued the expansion of Halfords Mobile Expert

    Read more
  • we-check-small.jpg

    WeCheck App

    This year, we launched our innovative WeCheck application

    Read more

Enable a Lifetime of motoring and cycling

Objectives

Loyalty and Retention

We will more actively drive customer loyalty and retention by:

  • Supercharging our CRM programme, providing compelling reasons for customers to return to our brand.
  • Building cross-Group loyalty programmes to optimise lifetime value and advocacy.

Customer First

We have started to drive meaningful action from our insight, which has been used to:

  • Define future range decisions.
  • Change the labour operating model to better reflect customer needs.
  • Obtain a greater understanding of customer pain points and moments that matter.
  • Provide a Group-wide Financial Services offer.

ESG

We have started to make progress with our ESG strategy, focusing on our key priority areas:

  • Electrification
  • Net Zero Commitment
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Product, Packaging and Waste Management

Progress made

  • Record NPS scores with Retail exit rate of 65.3, and Autocentres 76.1.
  • Development of our single Group web platform and other initiatives driving higher cross-shop volumes.
  • Refresh of our ESG strategy and commitment to science-based targets.

Priorities for the year

  • Launch a unique and market-leading motoring services club.
  • Further develop cross-shop opportunities across the Group.
  • Continued investment in our digital capabilities, enhancing the customer experience online.
  • Accelerating progress on our ESG programme.

Case studies

  • colleague-helping-with-helmet-small.jpg

    Improving the Customer Experience

    This year, we have transformed our Customer Experience strategy

    Read more