Our Strategy

2

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

  • Added 61 new Mobile Expert vans, bringing the total to 143 to serve the exceptional demand for this service.
  • 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.
  • Launched our first Group motoring services campaign.
  • 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.

In March, we announced the acquisition of The Universal Tyre Company. Operating from 20 sites and 89 commercial vans in the South East of the UK, Universal specialises in tyre services, including the supply and fit of tyres for a wide range of vehicles, from cars to commercial and agricultural vehicles, as well as providing general car maintenance and repairs such as brakes, servicing and MOT.

This acquisition takes us closer to our stated ambition of having over 550 garages in the UK and builds our coverage of the Commercial Truck and Van market.

Following on from our acquisitions of McConechy’s and Tyres on the Drive in 2019, this is another exciting step in the growth of Halfords’ motoring servicing business as we continue to inspire and support a lifetime of motoring and cycling, and establish ourselves as a leading motoring service provider in the UK.

Convenience is of vital importance to our customers and, over the last year, our ability to bring services directly to customers has been in high demand. Our Mobile Expert proposition offers customers the ability to have services performed on their driveway by our expert technicians, from having products fitted to top-ups and even car diagnostic checks.

Over the last year, the business saw a record number of jobs and sales with the benefits of convenience and safety resonating well with customers.

We have continued the expansion of the proposition, investing in the scale and geographic reach of the service, growing the number of hubs from 8 to 14 to serve the ever-growing demand and ending the year with 143 vans, bringing us closer to our medium-term target of 200 vans.

This year, we launched our innovative WeCheck application, specifically created in-house to enhance the customer journey, improve colleague productivity and strengthen the relationship between Halfords and its customers. The app is used by colleagues when they are carrying out a check on a vehicle and enables them to clearly record and share what tasks have been carried out with the recommended actions for customers to keep their vehicle safe.

Since launching the app, our data capture rate has increased significantly with over 80% of customers providing an email address and registration number when the app is used.

We have received great feedback from our customers who love the ‘simple to understand’ feedback, demystifying what could previously have been a very complicated report from a colleague.