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Tom Allason is founder and CEO of Shutl, a webservice<br />
that connects retailers to local courier<br />
firms enabling them to offer their customers<br />
90 minute delivery of online and in-store<br />
purchases. Shutl’s customers include Aurora<br />
Fashions, Argos, Maplin, The Entertainer and<br />
style-passport. Shutl’s proposition has helped<br />
High Street retailers to develop a competitive<br />
edge over pureplay e-tailers.<br />
Retail Systems: How did you get started in<br />
retail?<br />
TA: I had a previous business in the business to business<br />
(B2B) delivery space (eCourier.co.uk) but realised, through<br />
personal frustration,that there was a much bigger problem<br />
to be solved in e-commerce delivery. That is how the<br />
idea for Shutl came about.<br />
RS: What do you enjoy most about your job?<br />
TA: When customers post positive feedback to shutl.<br />
co.uk/feedback. We stream unfiltered tweets and<br />
comments onto our site so customers know we are<br />
completely transparent when it comes to publishing<br />
feedback.<br />
RS: Is there anything that frustrates you about<br />
the retail industry?<br />
TA: How difficult it is for large retailers to get e-commerce,<br />
store operations and IT all pulling in the same<br />
direction.<br />
RS: Is there a particular retailer who inspires<br />
you?<br />
TA: I know this is not very original, but I would have to<br />
say Apple. As a retailer they raised the bar for everyone.<br />
Tom<br />
Allason<br />
RS: Who is your IT hero?<br />
TA: Bill Gates- these days all the talk is about Steve Jobs<br />
but it was Bill Gates that zagged when everyone else<br />
was building hardware. Windows was world’s first real<br />
platform business and has done more than any other<br />
business to make personal computers ubiquitous.<br />
retail worlds<br />
RS: What piece of technology can’t you live<br />
without?<br />
TA: I would have to say my laptop. My life would be over<br />
If I lost it and my backups.<br />
RS: How do you relax?<br />
TA: I enjoy knocking flagged emails off my list. My inbox<br />
fills up very quickly so I have to keep on top of the important<br />
ones (this Q&A takes me to number 18 down from<br />
number 173 at beginning of week).<br />
RS: What was the last purchase you made online<br />
and was it a positive experience?<br />
TA: CCTV from Maplin, and it was a very positive experience…<br />
arrived very quickly too. (Maplin partnered with<br />
Shutl in February last year and now offer our 90 minute<br />
delivery service to online customers, using stock from 83<br />
stores across the country).<br />
RS: And what was the last purchase you made<br />
on the High Street?<br />
TA: A new iPhone. I dropped mine in the bath and<br />
needed replacement in a hurry. No iPhone stockists currently<br />
offer Shutl and so I had to go to the store. It was<br />
still a great experience though since a ‘genius’ offered to<br />
replace it for the fraction of the price of a new phone.<br />
As I said earlier, I’m a big fan of Apple’s stores, they’re a<br />
very inspiring retailer.<br />
RS<br />
February - March 2013 RS 59
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