Easilift Loading Systems has reported a significant increase in all areas of the business despite the ongoing challenge of operating during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The service activity of the business has seen the most increase with breakdowns and replacements rising by over 150% compared to this time last year.
Loading Systems UK has also experienced a huge demand for their pre-planned maintenance services with an unprecedented hike of 156% compared to 2019.
Whilst much of the construction industry ground to a halt during first few weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown Loading Systems were able to continue operating on many sites by implementing strict improvements in working practices including additional PPE and social distancing measures.
So how come Easilift Loading Systems has continued to thrive during this difficult period?
Rob Fay, Managing Director commented “During the 2008 economic recession we changed our strategic thinking in terms of our customer mix and we focused on strengthening our position in the sectors which continued to grow during the recession. It became strikingly obvious in the early stages of the last recession that the supermarkets and food producers were actually increasing their sales and by default their logistical activity also increased, resulting in an increased need for our products and services. As such, we concentrated on growing our business by targeting the food giants, and in particular the major supermarket chains. As a result we now work with over *60% of UK supermarkets.”
*Market Share: (Source: Kantar) https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/grocery-market-share/great-britain/snapshot/19.04.20/
Rob continued “… even in times of recession everybody needs to eat! Before the COVID-19 pandemic, food from cafes, restaurants, bars etc. accounted for around 40% of the nation's consumption. This has now dropped to somewhere between 10-15% with the major supermarkets and online shopping providers benefitting from customers being unable to dine out. Their ability to increase their home delivery operation to help the vulnerable also helped to increase their reputation.”
So how has this affected business for Loading Systems?
Rob went on to explain “Even before the pandemic most distribution centres were operating 24/7 to meet demands, no supermarket wants empty shelves. Where a local supermarket may have taken 1-2 deliveries a day prior to lockdown, this has now increased to 3-4 deliveries per day, which in turn means the loading bays at food producers, distribution centres and stores are busier than ever. The increase in supermarket spending has resulted in an increased demand for support to service, maintain and repair our customers loading bays to minimise downtime and keep them operational”
Why do you think your customers stay loyal?
Rob explained "We consistently outperform our competitors by providing 24/7/365 service support. Our highly qualified and experienced service engineers provide rapid response times and with a first fix rate of 91% our customers know they can rely on us to support them whatever it takes"
“This view is further supported by our customer’s feedback where the total customer satisfaction score has increased to 95%”
Looking forward to the remainder of the year, with an expanded customer base the future looks unexpectedly different as a consequence of COVID-19, but for now the future looks reassuringly bright and positive for Easilift Loading Systems.
For more information on Loading Systems products or services please call 0800 160 1965 or email: sales@loading-systems.co.uk