Jumanji: The Next Level competition winner announced

Online entrepreneur Barry Lynch is looking forward to a family holiday in Dubai courtesy of MBE and Jumanji: The Next Level

Fishing fanatic Barry Lynch has seen his business take off since he started using Mail Boxes Etc. Woking for mail order fulfilment three years ago.  In that time, Barry and Boris Rusen, who owns the MBE Woking store, have built a close working relationship, so when Barry was announced as the winner of Mail Boxes Etc.’s recent prize draw in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment to promote the movie Jumanji: The Next Level, Boris and his team were delighted.

Barry’s passion is lure fishing:  “Faster and more exciting than bait fishing, it uses artificial bait such as imitation fish, insects and even birds to attract fish,” he explains.  Lure fishing has become hugely popular in recent years and has international appeal.

When Barry started The Lure Box (www.thelurebox.co.uk) nearly five years ago, it was little more than a hobby.  In the early stages Barry held all the stock and fulfilled every order himself, dropping off his parcels at MBE Woking for despatch. “Then about three years ago Boris suggested they could also do the fulfilment.  That was a revelation for me.  It turned out to be a good step for the business, too, enabling us to grow really quickly.”

Great service

“Repeat business is crucial for us, as is a reputation for great service.  Customers sometimes order after 4pm and still get their items the next day.  They’re delighted of course – completely blown away. So we get excellent reviews, which helps persuade new customers to shop with us too.”

Boris and his team now receive all Barry’s product deliveries and store them, ready to pick and pack when orders come in.  “Because all my stock resides with them, it’s so much easier for me to scale up confidently,” says Barry.  When MBE Woking initially took over his stock there were fewer than 500 items, and now there are around 5,000.

With full access to Barry’s Shopify website, Boris sees all the orders that come in.  “We have integrated our shipping solution into his system so we can fulfil the orders, confirm to the customer and advise about delivery and tracking details,” says Boris. “From the customer’s point of view, the whole thing is seamless.”

Woking Franchisee, Boris, awarding prize to competition winner, Barry (TheLureBox). 

Mutual benefit

Boris has owned the Woking store for ten years, and previously worked in an MBE store in central London.  His experience helped him gauge when the time was right to explain the benefits of mail order fulfilment to Barry:  “You have to build the relationship and have the right level of trust first,” he says.  “Our aim is to make the arrangement mutually beneficial – we use our experience to help our customers.”  This includes eco-friendly initiatives like using recycled packaging and boxes for Barry’s deliveries wherever possible to minimise waste and reduce reliance on plastics.

He also believes it is good for small business to have a local resource they can turn to.  “Local companies really benefit from the face-to-face service we provide, and it helps us too.  I met several of Barry’s customers at an open day he held last year, which gives me a much better understanding of why they purchase online and what makes The Lure Box stand out for them.”

Barry acknowledges the importance of Boris’s support: “Boris is more like a partner in the business.  I bounce ideas off him and he gives me very useful advice. That’s another reason I’m so delighted to win the Jumanji prize, because it gives me the chance to tell more people what a great service Boris and his team at MBE Woking provide.”

Winning the Jumanji prize was the last thing on Barry’s mind when he got a call from MBE’s marketing team.  “I really wasn’t expecting to win.  I was working away in my office when I got the call and it was a lovely surprise.”

Now they’re getting used to the idea, however, Barry and his wife and 11-year-old son are busy planning their trip to Dubai in October. “We have friends there, so it will be good to catch up with them, and we’re excited about all the activities too.  My son’s always nagging me to go skiing, so we’ll definitely visit the snow centre.  And the rainforest experience sounds amazing.  And the desert trip and sand-boarding – in fact, pretty much everything!”

To find out more about MBE’s fulfilment services, visit our Business Hub or ask the team at your local MBE store.