Background
Founded in 1998, Gateshead based Spark Ecommerce Group is a fulfilment and contact centre company, with 200 employees and a turnover of £15m. The Group consists of Spark Response, a provider of contact centre and fulfilment services working with online retailers including WW (formerly Weight Watchers), FitFlop, Micro Scooters, Shark Ninja and the PGA European Tour; as well as Spark Etail which acts as an online retailer for ethical products.
Rationale
Headquartered in Marlow, Whistl is a leading delivery management company providing efficient, high-quality and competitively priced services across Business Mail, Parcels, Fulfilment and Doordrop Media both in the UK and internationally. They are the market leaders in Downstream Access Mail (DSA) services, handling over 50% of bulk business mail in the UK and in 2017 reported a turnover of £603 million.Whistl called on the advisory services of Quantuma's Ian Barton on the acquisition of Sparks Ecommerce Group.
Outcome
Quantuma’s Ian Barton and Adrian Howells advised Whistl on the acquisition of Sparks Ecommerce Group. This is the third time Ian has provided advisory services to Whistl and is the second acquisition Whistl have made in the fulfilment arena which will bolster their ambitious expansion plans within this area.
This is an important strategic acquisition for Thames Valley based Whistl who continue to expand their national offering of post and logistics, now with e-fulfilment.
Looking forward, Spark Ecommerce Group will be rebranded Whistl Fulfilment.
Quotes
Ian Barton, Partner at Quantuma said: “Whistl has an ambitious expansion plan for its fulfilment services drive, as it looks to meet the demands of the booming UK parcel business, which has grown significantly with the continued expansion of online retail. It has been a privilege to advise the management team on the latest step in its mission to offer customers a high-quality, seamless experience from first click to final delivery.”
Nick Wells, CEO of Whistl, said: “We are looking forward to integrating the Spark Ecommerce Group into the Whistl family as part of our strategy to grow our business in the parcel, fulfilment and international arenas. Spark brings to Whistl great people, great brands and a shared philosophy of providing outstanding customer services to our clients. This is a great time to become part of the Whistl family.
Having supported us on several transactions over the last few years as we have extended our services, Ian and the Quantuma team have once again helped ensure a smooth and timely process for all parties involved.”
