Asda's toyou parcel service marks six months of success with the signing of four new partners

Six months since it launched, toyou, Asda's end-to-end parcel service has now announced four new partners.

Customers returning goods from national TV home shopping retailer, Ideal Shopping, Scottish clothing chain, M&Co, and fashion brand, Yours Clothing, can now tap into Asda's extensive delivery network. Another partnership, this time with MetaPack, the eCommerce delivery technology company, provides a platform for UK and European retailers to integrate with toyou and take advantage of its logistics network.

The companies join existing partners including leading fashion retailers, ASOS and Missguided, with Missguided also announcing it is building on its current relationship by launching toyou's first collection service. This will allow customers to order items online and collect them in their local Asda store when it suits them.

Launched in November 2015, toyou is the UK's first end-to-end parcel solution which uses minute-by-minute tracking and it allows consumers to return or collect purchases from third party online retailers at more than 600 Asda stores. Parcels can also be collected and sent from Asda forecourts and Click & Collect points across the country.

To date, over five million parcels have been successfully returned or collected through toyou and its use of real-time tracking guarantees an industry leading delivery rate of 99%.

Paul Anastasiou, Senior Director Business Development at Asda, says: "We're incredibly pleased with the response of both partners and customers to toyou. The volume of interest we have received, and the addition of new partners such as Ideal Shopping, M&Co, Yours Clothing, and MetaPack is testament to the world-class service we are delivering to customers. The service strengthens Asda's reputation for convenience and with huge growth potential, we look forward to building on the first six month's success."

Crawford Davidson, Chief Marketing Officer, of TV home shopping retailer, Ideal Shopping, says: "We felt a real synergy with Asda over our customer base and this is what attracted us to the opportunity to partner with toyou. The service is leading the way not only in terms of its parcel tracking innovation, but by making it easier for customers access to connect with online brands, and we're looking forward to growing our partnership over the coming months."

In addition to identifying the most appropriate delivery service that meets customers' needs, a partnership with Metapack opens toyou up to a potential international audience. The company works with a third of the top 50 European retailers and integrates 300 carriers and 3500 delivery services to strengthen delivery propositions and customer experiences.

Kees de Vos, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at MetaPack, said: "We are very pleased to be partnering with toyou, an innovative parcel service with a unique proposition in the market. We see that through this collaboration, greater choice and flexibility can be offered to customers with all the convenience of dropping into their local Asda store, collecting their parcel, trying on their garments and returning them immediately if needed. There is so much potential."

In addition to helping to streamline parcel deliveries for third party retailers, the real-time tracking technology is also available to George.com customers, helping to avoid any problems during peak delivery times thanks to greater accuracy. In fact, 70% of George.com orders collected in store are now facilitated through the toyou network.

Beyond the system's capabilities, toyou's real-time tracking has also provided Asda with an insight into consumer behaviour. Tracking data shows that an average of 40% of parcels are picked up on the first day, 40% on the second day, and the remaining 20% on the third day or later, while Sunday is the least popular day of the week for collection.