0:00:28 > 0:00:30Ooh, very nice. Like Christmas Day.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Nobody actually knew that this was coming,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51apart from the ones in charge of City Link.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56I knew the company was losing money. We all knew that, but
0:00:56 > 0:01:00we were always told that we were doing better.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01And then all of a sudden it's just gone.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Someone turns round and says,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06"Well, we're not making money, we're going to close you down."
0:01:24 > 0:01:26MUSIC: William Tell Overture by Rossini
0:01:26 > 0:01:31In 2014, the number of parcels delivered in the UK
0:01:31 > 0:01:34would exceed two billion for the very first time.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Hello...?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Thank you, see you again!
0:01:37 > 0:01:40City Link would handle over 60 million of these,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43so City Link delivery men like Shabaz Ali
0:01:43 > 0:01:45would be run off their feet.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50About 140 stops a day, so every time I stop, I deliver.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52See you again. Ta-ra.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55I'm starting knocking doors about 8 o'clock in the morning
0:01:55 > 0:01:56and I work all the way through.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58All right, cheers.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00- There you go.- Cheers.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Every three or four minutes I'm stopping, delivering...
0:02:09 > 0:02:10Do you run the whole route?
0:02:10 > 0:02:15I do, yeah. I tend to run cos it's, er, quicker.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18While us customers might happily deliberate for weeks
0:02:18 > 0:02:21about what to buy online, we're often less patient
0:02:21 > 0:02:24when it comes to waiting for things to arrive.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Keeps you fit, running round, though.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33It is hard. It is hard some days
0:02:33 > 0:02:36when you're sat there with over 200 deliveries on your van
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and you're thinking, well...
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Then you get caught up in traffic
0:02:39 > 0:02:43and you're pulling your hair out cos you're missing time slots.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48But erm...you've just got to crack on with it, just don't give up.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Shabaz's commitment to the job
0:02:51 > 0:02:54has made him one of the company's top delivery men,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58and inspired his brother Naj to follow in his footsteps.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Tell me about the number plate.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05I bought it to wind the wife up. But it is literally true,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07I am never home.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Sign and print, just on the screen there...
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Dinner time, coffee time's like a swear word in this game.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23You don't even undo your seat belt!
0:03:23 > 0:03:27No, no. It's easier to do it this way, it's a quick way of doing it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34He's always running!
0:03:34 > 0:03:38We used to deliver a lot to businesses when I first started,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41but now I think the houses have overtaken.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46- I deliver more to houses than I do to businesses now.- Why is that?
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Cos online shopping, it's what... It's the new thing, innit?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Buying online, shopping online.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57A lot of people would rather sit there and shop online
0:03:57 > 0:03:59than go out and buy stuff.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Christmas time, it's easier just to sit down at a computer
0:04:03 > 0:04:08and do your Christmas shopping online, not even leave the house!
0:04:08 > 0:04:11But it's good for us.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Right. Back to it, yeah?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27# Dimples and cherry cheeks
0:04:27 > 0:04:29# Cherry cheeks Cherry cheeks
0:04:29 > 0:04:32# Those pretty dimples and cherry cheeks
0:04:32 > 0:04:34# Sweet enough to eat
0:04:34 > 0:04:37# I rode one day to Santa Fe... #
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Poppy Sommerville owes her love of online shopping
0:04:39 > 0:04:41to her prize puppies.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45With her husband regularly away on business,
0:04:45 > 0:04:51she can lavish her attention on Chloe, Harvey and Bonnie-Bow.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It is a no expense spared thing with my dogs.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00They go more or less everywhere with me. They stay in hotels.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Most of my friends -
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and I've got quite a long list of people who have said this to me -
0:05:05 > 0:05:08they're going to be reincarnated as my dog.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I'm like, "Join the queue."
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Cos there's just so many of them.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15That's quite a compliment, isn't it?
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I mean, everybody says it to me.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Unimpressed by the canine treats available locally,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Poppy turned to the internet...
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and she's never looked back.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44If everything could be done online
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and I could have everything delivered,
0:05:47 > 0:05:52and I didn't have to spend a day ever going shopping outside again,
0:05:52 > 0:05:53I would be quite happy.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Because I just feel it's a waste of time, shopping.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04So these are the crates which they sleep in at night.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06So I order all of these on the internet,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08and these are the doggy quilts.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11So that's a summer harness, very lightweight,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and it's got the bows and the crystals.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18So these are the dog collars. One for every occasion.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Some of the T-shirts are for when it's really hot,
0:06:20 > 0:06:21so they don't get sunburnt.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24"King Pup."
0:06:24 > 0:06:26He looks nice in black, Harvey.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I do want to pull up the drawbridge and have peace.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Maybe that's why I like online shopping.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38Because when I'm here, why do I want to go into a big town and shop?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I know that if I need to get something,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I probably will be able to get it,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49without having to drive to a few towns to try and find it.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- # There's a rainbow - # You can see the rainbow
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- # In the valley - # Way down in the valley
0:06:57 > 0:06:59# Since you... #
0:06:59 > 0:07:02When I've got a delivery, a lot of people can't find the house,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04so I usually see them on the camera
0:07:04 > 0:07:07driving up the road.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And then they'll drive back down the road,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and then they'll drive back up the road. And then they'll ring me.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'So is it on the right or left as I'm going up?'
0:07:15 > 0:07:17If you're going up, it's on the right-hand side.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22# He must know it's my lucky day... #
0:07:22 > 0:07:24What have we got here, Bonnie?
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I love getting parcels in the post.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Next day delivery is really important,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35because it doesn't tie up the rest of the week.
0:07:35 > 0:07:41These are cooling fans. To keep you nice and cool in your crates.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42It's a fan.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46And then that'll just act as a cooler.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I always opt for next day, or named day.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52At least if it's named, you know when it's going to arrive.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Who wants to hang around for parcels being delivered. We don't, do we?
0:08:02 > 0:08:06The demand for deliveries within 24 hours means the courier business
0:08:06 > 0:08:10is now more competitive and pressurised than ever before.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18A parcel can be sent from Scotland to Wales overnight.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22It's er...it's crazy how they do it, but it happens every day.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Before it reaches the hands of the delivery men,
0:08:26 > 0:08:32a parcel will travel from source to a central hub near Coventry,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34where it's redirected to its final destination.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39I wouldn't like to work there, in the hub.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Cos I bet it is absolutely manic there.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45MUSIC: Blue Danube Waltz by Strauss
0:08:50 > 0:08:53This is the heart of City Link's delivery network,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55but with parcel volumes increasing every year
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and greater demand for next day delivery,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02the business has been struggling to cope, and haemorrhaging money.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06When I joined in May of 2012,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09for the previous company's financial year,
0:09:09 > 0:09:10which is January to December,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13they'd just posted a £34 million loss.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Bob Powner is an industry veteran, and has been recruited by City Link
0:09:18 > 0:09:21to help get them out of the red and into shape for the future.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27My own family don't appreciate what happens. They order online,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31and they think that they press the enter key on the keyboard,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and somehow miraculously it gets delivered tomorrow morning.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37We don't put any thought really into what happens -
0:09:37 > 0:09:39we just all expect that it's going to be there tomorrow.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Trying to manually handle
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the 200,000 parcels passing through the hub every day
0:09:47 > 0:09:49has been proving a challenge.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So Bob wants to modernise,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and is overseeing the design of a new sorting machine
0:09:54 > 0:09:57to help City Link cope with rising demand.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01We're just coming up to the new sorter that we're installing.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03It's a really exciting time because it's a big investment,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06it increases capacity in the hub.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It weighs the freight, it scans the freight,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and it sorts the freight to a particular destination,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16therefore reducing the risk of mis-sorts.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19About to go bust in 2013,
0:10:19 > 0:10:24City Link was taken over by investment company Better Capital.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Their appointed managing director Dave Smith is confident
0:10:27 > 0:10:31that Bob is the right man to help turn the company round.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Better's view, shared really by the board of directors,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38is that it's a growing marketplace,
0:10:38 > 0:10:44and with the right investment in technology, in equipment, in people,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48we can move into a very successful future.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And it says to our employees there's a bright future here.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00With City Link trying to claw back its place as a contender
0:11:00 > 0:11:03in the £6 billion delivery industry,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06there's a lot riding on the success of Bob's machine.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09This is costing well in excess of £1 million.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13So that's quite a heavy investment.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I wouldn't say it was a brave move,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18because I have so much confidence that it's going to work.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It's a journey we can achieve.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26I mean, already we can start seeing light at the end of the tunnel,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and that light is quite bright.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And part of that light is in the sorter,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36and that is a real big signal to everyone who works in City Link
0:11:36 > 0:11:39that our owners are taking it seriously,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42taking our strategy seriously, believe in us
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and know that we'll turn the corner financially.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Between the courier companies and the customers
0:11:58 > 0:12:02are the businesses, that must also embrace the future to survive -
0:12:02 > 0:12:05even when their brand is a hymn to the past.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Fanny! Fanny...
0:12:09 > 0:12:14What are we going to be putting up on the ceiling here?
0:12:14 > 0:12:17We might actually put a chandelier, I'm not sure.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- OK, good.- Possibly the one that we've got next door -
0:12:20 > 0:12:22we'll just put it up there and it'll just...bing!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It'll be a central... good eye-catcher.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30- I think something sympathetic to the room would be fantastic.- OK.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Liz Mouat is Laura Ashley's Head of Buying,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and in charge of making their merchandise
0:12:37 > 0:12:39irresistible to online shoppers.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44What we aim to do is make our products
0:12:44 > 0:12:49look really comfortable and at home in some amazing properties.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The idea is that they should be aspirational as well as inspirational.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57- Yeah. It looks lovely there, doesn't it?- Yeah. Twinkle.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03Right now, just 20% of the company's sales are made online,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06but by harnessing the full potential of the web,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Liz is intent on seeing that figure grow.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12What's fantastic about having the internet,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15we essentially have, to a certain extent, elastic walls.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17We call them elastic shelves, elastic walls.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20We can get so much more product on the online website
0:13:20 > 0:13:21than we can in stores.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Mel Mel Davies has been making the trip across town
0:13:32 > 0:13:37to her local Laura Ashley store for the last 25 years -
0:13:37 > 0:13:39but now all that's changed.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Since the internet came along, it makes it much easier for me
0:13:42 > 0:13:45to buy things and have the parcels delivered to my house,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47which is the bit I now enjoy immensely.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49How does your home make you feel?
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Safe and cosy, I think would be my two words.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Yeah, I like the idea of that kind of, like, cosy feeling
0:13:59 > 0:14:01when I get home from work at the end of the day.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02If I could have my ultimate dream,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I think it'd be a thatched cottage in a country village.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I grew up here in Moss Side -
0:14:13 > 0:14:16busy, diverse cultural area -
0:14:16 > 0:14:20and I don't think my house reflects sort of inside
0:14:20 > 0:14:23what goes on outside actually, in this area.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27I decided that when I bought the seat pad, I'd buy the bunting...
0:14:29 > 0:14:30Nice little Laura Ashley frame here.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34This one room is done in Laura Ashley paint. Laura Ashley bed linen there.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Bought this from Laura Ashley, it's an initial of my name.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38I bought this clock.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42It's meant to look like the inside of a grandfather clock.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It gives you the inspiration to like, make a home,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and I think that's a lost art these days.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Liz wants to reinvigorate the lost art of homemaking,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55as well as company profits, with the help of the latest gadgets.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03It is amazing how much our customers really do want that ease of shopping,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06especially on the iPad which enables you to be a bit more flexible
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and you can move around the room.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11That as a drape... would look lovely really.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I can visualise that, and I could put something next to it,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18like a cushion or something, and see how I was going to work a colour.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Almost like I'm putting a tiny cushion on the sofa,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22so you can get an idea.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25If I was going to buy this chair and this footstool,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I probably would use it in an area like that in the corner of a room.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36- Hi. Morning.- How are you doing, all right?- Good, thanks. Cheers.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Quite exciting actually.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Even though I know what I've ordered, I'm sort of still eager to see it
0:15:46 > 0:15:48because you've got it in the house
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and you can see where it's going to go.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53Oh, that's good.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Two new seat pads, which will replace the ones I've got down there.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02So it's nice, cos it's almost like it's come from a boutique
0:16:02 > 0:16:04because you've got the nice tissue paper, and I like that
0:16:04 > 0:16:06cos it makes it a bit special.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Mel Mel's dress, along with her other special buys,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18have come from the company's warehouse in Wales,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22where Helen Green oversees the picking and packing
0:16:22 > 0:16:25of 90,000 online purchases every month.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30This dress is, erm...
0:16:30 > 0:16:33one of the most current dresses -
0:16:33 > 0:16:37it's not actually part of the launch that we're in now, it's been a previous launch.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44OK, I'm really pleased with this.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It looks pretty.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50It certainly makes me feel special wearing a dress like this.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53How many of these dresses came in originally, do you reckon?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Probably between 1,000 and 2,000 units, I would think.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Sold quite effectively, and we don't have a lot of these units left now.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03This was £50, but it's an investment buy.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of that.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09This again is a very popular version, another throw.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13People pick a lot of bedding. An awful lot of bedding.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Nostalgia is what goes through your head when you think of Laura Ashley.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I do have a love of the '40s,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27a feeling of times gone by. The simple life that people used to live.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29You know, potentially growing your own vegetables,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and a sense of community that we've lost these days in a lot of places.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40I think the technology is part of the life we're living now,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and I know some people would say, are we going to lose the whole thing
0:17:43 > 0:17:47of the high street, are we going to lose that as a community centre?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50But I just, you know... It's a difficult one.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I'm busy, so I don't get to get to the shops in the same way
0:17:54 > 0:17:58that I used to. It's sort of like, a necessary evil, if you like.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Oh, shopping's changed immensely.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Most people are going internet now, aren't they?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Their lives are too busy and they're basically going the internet route.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I think the general town little shop areas is...
0:18:12 > 0:18:15is going to be a thing of the past, unfortunately.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- Do you think?- I think so, yeah. Yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29It's been 20 years since a CD became the first item bought online.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33And back then, our web purchases tended to be small and inexpensive.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41But as our love of internet shopping continues to grow,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45so too does the size and value of the packages being sent.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50We'll do your baby seats, mattresses...
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So we do do the larger freight,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54which some of our competitors don't really want
0:18:54 > 0:18:58and would never entertain putting on their automation systems.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04Bob's new sorting machine is due to go live in just a matter of days.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08So it's undergoing a series of last-minute tests
0:19:08 > 0:19:10to ensure it's fit for purpose.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I hope things don't go wrong,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15but if they are going to go wrong then I want to find them now.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Well, everybody's looking at this through, not just the eyes of
0:19:26 > 0:19:30it's a piece of machinery and it'll work and that's fine,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but it's much more about the symbolism
0:19:33 > 0:19:35of where it's taking the business
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and the hope for the business for the future.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Cheers, buddy. Ta, mate.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45But unfortunately for Bob,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47the machine is malfunctioning.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Stop.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52'Better are... They're like all shareholders, really.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54'What they want is a business that's successful,'
0:19:54 > 0:19:56and ultimately, do we make a profit
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and do we make a return for the shareholders?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08The data logic guy doesn't know what the issue is currently? OK.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13It's absolutely vital that this piece of equipment works...
0:20:17 > 0:20:19..because if it doesn't,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23the next time the operation comes in and says we need something -
0:20:23 > 0:20:28"You sure that's going to work? You haven't got a great track record."
0:20:29 > 0:20:30How's it going?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- Not very well.- Why?- They're trying to work out the issue.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Confident, yes, but with a degree of nervousness attached to it
0:20:38 > 0:20:42borne out of 20 years of experience watching some of those things
0:20:42 > 0:20:44not work as well as you'd hope.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56If it is the compressor, they knew about it yesterday,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59it should have been sorted in time for today.
0:20:59 > 0:21:05I am ultimately responsible, and it's started to get a bit hairy now
0:21:05 > 0:21:08cos the company's reputation and my personal reputation's
0:21:08 > 0:21:09hanging on this.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14I can see me going a bit greyer in the next couple of days, to be fair.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37As more sophisticated systems are developed,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39it's become possible to deliver
0:21:39 > 0:21:43even the most delicate and fragile of goods to our front doors.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48It's one of the things that we quite enjoy, that
0:21:48 > 0:21:50if it's someone coming for the first time
0:21:50 > 0:21:52there's nothing at the front that gives a clue,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57and they walk through what looks like a fairly normal terraced house
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and they come out the back and - "Oh! Wow."
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Gaz Jones has created an exotic jungle
0:22:06 > 0:22:09in the back yard of his two-bed semi in Luton,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13and most of his precious plants have reached their new home
0:22:13 > 0:22:14by overnight delivery.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18We like to buy things from specialist nurseries,
0:22:18 > 0:22:19because they have the things
0:22:19 > 0:22:22that the big garden centres and the big boxed sheds just don't have.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I think online is so crucial to that, because first of all
0:22:25 > 0:22:29you wouldn't find out about a lot of these plants very quickly.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Would having this garden be possible without online shopping?
0:22:36 > 0:22:39You'd be able to create something similar -
0:22:39 > 0:22:42the Victorians loved exotic plants and they didn't have the internet -
0:22:42 > 0:22:45but it would have been a slower process.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Do you think the garden is a reflection of your personality?
0:22:50 > 0:22:52I'm not sure. Probably.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I work for an accountancy firm
0:22:55 > 0:22:57so I guess accountants have a reputation
0:22:57 > 0:23:00for being boring, introverted characters,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03so I don't know whether this is that kind of garden.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I like to think it's not.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Gaz has been nurturing his tropical paradise for the last nine years,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14ably assisted by his equally green-fingered partner.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18For a lot of people we know that are growing gardens like this,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22the husband or the wife that's the non-gardener reins them back in
0:23:22 > 0:23:24and says, "No, we've got to go and see Great Auntie Mabel"
0:23:24 > 0:23:29or whatever it might be at the weekend, whereas we go to a garden centre and we both get excited.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Gaz and Mark have been together for ten years,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39and for Mark, their garden is a little slice of home.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I'm originally from the Philippines. I'm a nurse.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I like the fact that I take care of patients
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and at the same time when I get home, I take care of plants.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54So I suppose in that manner it matches with my nature.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I like to care, as cheesy as that may sound.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02I saw these ducks. Something not so serious.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06It was my idea, I saw them in the shop and thought, "Ooh, I like it."
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Knowing me, I don't just stop at one so I bought a couple more,
0:24:08 > 0:24:13so I've got three of these rubber duckies now.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16How much do you think you've spent on plants online?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Can we plead the Fifth(?)
0:24:22 > 0:24:24How long is a string?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27There's no need to know, we don't need to know.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29And you'd probably look at the number and go, ouch!
0:24:29 > 0:24:32- But thousands?- Yes.- Yes.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Like many couples with busy careers,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40almost all of Gaz and Mark's shopping is now done
0:24:40 > 0:24:44via their computer, and delivered to their home.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47All the roof tiles, garden furniture -
0:24:47 > 0:24:50even the double glazing, electronics, appliances.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Our dining chairs.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Even one of our cats we bought via an advert on Gumtree.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- The cat's called Knickers.- Knickers.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05But today, it's a selection of exotic shrubs
0:25:05 > 0:25:07that have tickled their fancy.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- You happy with this one?- Mm-hm. - OK, "add item to my wheelbarrow".
0:25:11 > 0:25:16With a tap of the keyboard, Gaz and Mark put in motion a chain of events
0:25:16 > 0:25:19that should ensure their precious plants arrive safe and sound
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and within 24 hours.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29MUSIC: Flight Of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Deep in the mountains of Snowdonia lies Crug Farm,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39where Gaz and Mark's exotic order is just arriving.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43You get the feel of what sort of garden people have.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46This person looks as if he's got sort of a tropical type of garden.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Arran Flame...
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Can you get me one from the back too please, cos they're flowering...
0:25:55 > 0:25:57'We're really out of the way here.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01'I think without going into the mail order, we might have closed.'
0:26:01 > 0:26:03So this has been our saving grace, I'm sure.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12The main secret is not to have them rattling about in the box.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23The whole thing is to get the plants to the customer in good condition.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I also like the packaging to look neat...
0:26:28 > 0:26:31..rather than scruffy. Like me.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- All right, CJ?- Yes. How you doing, John?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- How many have you got for us? - Three.- OK.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- OK, CJ, see you tomorrow.- Yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Next stop for Gaz and Mark's package
0:26:57 > 0:26:59is the local depot in Wales,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01where it's loaded onto a lorry
0:27:01 > 0:27:04ready for the 200km drive to the Coventry hub.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10And as most of us are settling down for the evening,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14lorry driver Rob is beginning his shift.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18This is my home for the night.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I have my satnav, so I don't get lost!
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Crisps, chocolate bars. I know I shouldn't.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Music as well - Stereophonics, Meat Loaf.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30I've got my Welsh flag, there's a bed,
0:27:30 > 0:27:31I've got a little oven.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35A pasty or something and warm it up - 20 minutes, boiling hot.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40HORN TOOTS
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I love driving, I totally love it.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47It's the best job I've had.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Rob makes a round trip between Wales and Coventry five nights a week.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55With another two hours till he arrives,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58the central hub is already reaching its nightly peak.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Why is it so busy?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Every day, we're getting a lot more freight in.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24So we've got extra trailers, more freight's coming in.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Do you feel the pressure?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29No, it's an everyday thing for me.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- Are you on time?- Yeah, I'm ahead of my time tonight.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37So er...yeah. Everything is good, so far!
0:28:52 > 0:28:55An army of 200 work through the night
0:28:55 > 0:29:00to ensure the parcels are sorted and sent out to the correct locations.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05The lynchpins in the system are the 66 forklift truck drivers,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09who must load and unload the lorries at breakneck speed.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12'It's organised chaos.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15'Turnaround roughly about 180,000,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18'200,000 plus parcels in a four-and-a-half-hour window.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20'So the pace of the job is quick.'
0:29:23 > 0:29:25'It's not a job for the faint-hearted.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28'When you've got 66 trucks in a warehouse,
0:29:28 > 0:29:29'shooting out of 48 doors,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31'100-and-some-odd drivers,
0:29:31 > 0:29:32'it's going to have danger.'
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Tony has been a forklift driver for the past 15 years.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51And he's one of the most skilled in the business.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56The job itself, because I've been doing it so long, is second nature.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59It takes... Oh, you can't really explain it.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01You're a little bit different.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05- It's just a job that not everybody can take to.- No.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07And you need that sort of...
0:30:08 > 0:30:13..capability to be able to drive a truck to a certain level.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- If you haven't got that level... - There's no point being out there.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17..you wouldn't do it.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20- Concentration is a must. - Yeah, definitely.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22You cannot afford to switch off.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26You switch off, and you'll have an accident or...
0:30:26 > 0:30:28unfortunately cause some damage.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34What do you buy online?
0:30:34 > 0:30:35I don't shop online.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Truthfully, I've never had a mobile phone. I don't use PCs.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41I don't drive. I haven't got a licence.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45I've never been to the bank and I've never had a credit card.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48So obviously I live a life which is a simple life.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51I'm not into modern technology.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57To be honest, I don't really buy online myself.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59- RADIO CHATTER - I have a few times in the past.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03I prefer to go to shop and just buy something then and there.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Do you shop online yourself?
0:31:06 > 0:31:07No!
0:31:08 > 0:31:09Nah.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Buying online? HE SIGHS
0:31:12 > 0:31:14I suppose it's all right.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I haven't tried it yet, personally.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22It's going to take a great force to twist my arm to try it as well!
0:31:22 > 0:31:27RADIO: Since You Been Gone by Rainbow
0:31:27 > 0:31:28What do you buy online?
0:31:30 > 0:31:32Very little.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33Um...
0:31:33 > 0:31:36The last thing I bought online was my marker lights
0:31:36 > 0:31:37on the front of the lorry.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39They were the last things I done.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41And I got another truck driver to do it
0:31:41 > 0:31:45cos he had an eBay account. I haven't got one.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Just before midnight, Rob pulls in at Coventry...
0:32:02 > 0:32:06..and the forklift team sets to work unloading his cargo of parcels.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14That's our new multi-million pound sorting machine.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Is that making your job easier?
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Well, they said it's going to be easier,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21but when it's fully up and running.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29By 3:00am, Rob's ready for the three-hour journey
0:32:29 > 0:32:30back to his depot,
0:32:30 > 0:32:36his trailer refilled with parcels destined for homes around Wales.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39RADIO: Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf
0:32:39 > 0:32:41HE SINGS ALONG: # Like a bat out of hell
0:32:41 > 0:32:44# I'll be gone when the morning comes
0:32:45 > 0:32:48# When the night is over Na-na-na hell
0:32:48 > 0:32:51# I'll be gone, gone, gone...
0:32:51 > 0:32:52# Like a bat out of hell
0:32:52 > 0:32:55# I'll be gone when the morning comes... #
0:32:55 > 0:33:00If I get four hours' sleep, I know it doesn't sound a lot,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04but four hours' sleep seems to work for me.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08A lot of people say, "Oh, I couldn't do your job."
0:33:08 > 0:33:11I say, "What, drive a truck or work nights?"
0:33:11 > 0:33:15And nine times out of ten, the answer is work nights.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18I think you get used to being on your own.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I've been doing it for eight years
0:33:21 > 0:33:26and I don't regret...working nights.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Because I love the job I'm doing.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33I love driving,
0:33:33 > 0:33:38and driving a truck is just the icing on the cake.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Are nights bad for relationships?
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Um...
0:33:49 > 0:33:51..I'd probably say yes to that.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54I'd probably say yes to that.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- Can we pull in by here?- Yeah.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Yeah, that's a sore subject with me at the moment, that is.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08Well, I'm divorced now. So...
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Yeah, that one's a bit of a sore...
0:34:14 > 0:34:16..sore subject, that one is.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18HE CHUCKLES
0:34:27 > 0:34:28By 6:00am,
0:34:28 > 0:34:33Gaz and Mark's plants have arrived at a depot outside London
0:34:33 > 0:34:36after a 400km journey through Wales and England.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41Do you know what that is?
0:34:41 > 0:34:44If you see someone making that effort
0:34:44 > 0:34:47it should be something that's very exotic,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49probably something maybe a bit expensive.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Yeah, probably some very expensive plants.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Posh plants!
0:34:59 > 0:35:03And hopefully it won't get crushed by any heavy boxes.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- Should be all right.- You hope.
0:35:05 > 0:35:06It should be all right.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Not I hope, it should be all right. Cos that's my job, to get it...
0:35:11 > 0:35:13You have to be careful. Even if...
0:35:13 > 0:35:16If I was sending a parcel, I don't want it to be damaged.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20So I always try and take care of all the parcels with the utmost care.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Elton Chirata has a whole day of deliveries ahead of him
0:35:29 > 0:35:33before he's due to hand over the precious plants.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45I've been very excited.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Something nice to look forward to after a stressful day at work,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52to have nice goodies, nice plants to add to the garden.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58Gaz and Mark's estimated delivery time is between 4:00 and 6:00pm.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03But Elton is battling to stay on schedule.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07I'm about 20 minutes behind on my ETA,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10but I'm still within the window so I'm still good.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14'A little bit of hesitation and anticipation.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18'Excitement of what they're actually going to look like.'
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Ooh, very nice. Like Christmas Day!
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Fantastic.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29- Wow.- Enjoy your plants. - Thank you so much.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31All right, bye-bye.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Welcome home, guys.
0:36:42 > 0:36:43Welcome home, guys!
0:36:46 > 0:36:48You know, I've been doing it for years
0:36:48 > 0:36:51but the excitement is still exactly the same each time, you know?
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Every shipment is, ooh, very exciting.
0:36:54 > 0:36:55I can't wait to open it.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59But I'll take pictures first because this is something to relish.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04What I'll do is I'll just relish the box,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06pay homage to it, take a few pictures
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and I'll send them to Gaz before I open it.
0:37:10 > 0:37:11I should have enough.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14There you go.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17This should make Gaz's phone buzz.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19PHONE BEEPS
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Box from Crug Farm has arrived.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Oh, hello.- Hiya.- Hiya. Did you see the photo?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Yeah, I did see the photo.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- Ta-da!- Ta-da!- Wow.
0:37:40 > 0:37:41Ooh-la-la.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Have you ever given any thought to how these parcels get to you?
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Not in any great detail, really.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51You kind of just sort of imagine it...
0:37:51 > 0:37:54probably a smaller operation than it really is.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55You think there's a guy with a van
0:37:55 > 0:37:57who picks it up and brings it to your door.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00- I bet it's not!- But clearly there are depots and all sorts in the way.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03You only care really when something goes wrong.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07I think you expect it to work and to arrive when it is supposed to arrive
0:38:07 > 0:38:09and that's kind of down to them,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12to work out how to schedule all of that.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16As the customer, you just want it to turn up without any damages
0:38:16 > 0:38:20at the point in time when it's supposed to arrive,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- with minimal fuss, really.- Mm-hm.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Hannah speaking, how may I help you?
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Can I take your consignment number, please?
0:38:35 > 0:38:38It's James calling from the escalations team...
0:38:38 > 0:38:42My name's Jamie, I'm calling from the escalation team in Hatfield.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44'When you order something online,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47'it's not a single person making that... You know, packaging it
0:38:47 > 0:38:48'and delivering it to your doorstep.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'It has to go through weighing, it has to go through packaging,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53'it has to go from A to B.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55'And it's not often that things go wrong,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58'but unfortunately things DO go wrong.'
0:38:59 > 0:39:01PHONE RINGS
0:39:01 > 0:39:05City Link, Hannah speaking, how may I help you?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Hannah is part of a customer service team
0:39:07 > 0:39:10that takes around 2,000 calls a day.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Though not all complaints, if a delivery HAS gone astray,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16they're certain to hear about it.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25It is easier to be horrible to someone over the phone
0:39:25 > 0:39:26than it is face to face.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27But what I say to my agents
0:39:27 > 0:39:30is it's harder to be horrible to someone that's nice on the phone
0:39:30 > 0:39:32so smile whilst you're talking.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34No, no.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Listen to what they're saying, and often when they're shouting
0:39:37 > 0:39:39they'll say it, and if you allow them to say it
0:39:39 > 0:39:42they'll run out of energy and then they're willing to listen.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43Mm.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47How far can people go?
0:39:47 > 0:39:50People have wished cancer upon myself and other agents.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52They've wished death on family members.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54We've had bomb threats.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55We get it all.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57He called me a monkey and then called me an ape
0:39:57 > 0:40:00and that I should go back to my zoo.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02And I found that quite offensive.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05You get some people that are abusive towards women.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07We've had homophobic abuse. We've had racial abuse.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10At the end of the day, it is a parcel that we're delivering
0:40:10 > 0:40:12but some people take it too far.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15'This is the end of a catalogue of cockups.'
0:40:15 > 0:40:17'Well, I'm glad it is being recorded, actually!'
0:40:17 > 0:40:18PHONE RINGS
0:40:20 > 0:40:23There's no-one that you can speak to in the call centre
0:40:23 > 0:40:25who is higher than myself.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27What's the worst thing anyone has ever said to you?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Er...they wished that my unborn child dies.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Yeah...
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Were you shocked?- Um...
0:40:37 > 0:40:38At the time, yes.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I look back now and I just think that's ridiculous.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43But, yeah, for someone to be that vile
0:40:43 > 0:40:46about just a delivery that they'd ordered, then yeah,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49that was extreme.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I used to take it personally and now I think it's part of my job.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55I'm not going to ever bump into them, they don't know who I am, so...
0:40:55 > 0:40:57I don't think they mean it directly at me
0:40:57 > 0:40:59but I am the voice of City Link
0:40:59 > 0:41:01so I just have to take it and get on with it.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12When customer patience runs thin,
0:41:12 > 0:41:16it's not just the voice of the company that bears the brunt of it
0:41:16 > 0:41:18but also the face.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Thankfully for the delivery men,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25there is an incentive.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32We get paid per stop,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36so every time I stop we get a payment for it.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40So if I've got, like, 140 stops a day,
0:41:40 > 0:41:43you can make serious money out of it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Well, you're talking footballers' wages, basically!
0:41:50 > 0:41:51I wouldn't say Premiership,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54obviously they're in a different league!
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Yeah, yesterday I delivered to number 11, which is next door,
0:42:00 > 0:42:01and number 15, which is there,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and today I've got number 12.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06The more you deliver, the more you get paid.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09So probably tomorrow I might have 14 and 16!
0:42:09 > 0:42:13If you can do 200 deliveries, like I do in Christmas,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16you're going to... You're on serious money, you know what I mean?
0:42:16 > 0:42:19They see us delivery drivers like, obviously,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21thinking it's a minimum wage sort of thing
0:42:21 > 0:42:22but it's not.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52It's nice to have something nice to get into at the end of the day.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54It's a perk, isn't it?!
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Why did you decide to buy yourself this?
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Well, I had the opportunity to get one.
0:42:58 > 0:42:59I'd been looking for a while.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00And I've always had nice cars,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02and this came up and I had to have it.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04So I went and bought it!
0:43:05 > 0:43:07But, yeah, best thing I've bought.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09Are some people quite surprised
0:43:09 > 0:43:11when you say you're a delivery driver?
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Yeah, but it's the old saying, isn't it?
0:43:13 > 0:43:15You never judge a book by its cover.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18You know, they see me in the van driving around, delivering,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21you know, grubby clothing and all, from working.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24And then all of a sudden they'll see me drive up in this
0:43:24 > 0:43:27and they're very shocked, like, "How could you do that?"
0:43:27 > 0:43:30It's hard work, like. I've done it for 20 years.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32I managed to save and get one of these
0:43:32 > 0:43:34and I'm happy with it.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41For some of us, the rise of online shopping has opened the door
0:43:41 > 0:43:44to worlds that we may otherwise have never ventured into.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57For the last 20 years,
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Roberson Wine has operated
0:43:59 > 0:44:03from a shop on one of London's most exclusive streets,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07selling wine worth up to £3,500 a bottle.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26My office is a reflection of my life.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28I bought that at an art fair but it's great.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30The expression is fantastic on his face.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34And he's doing pretty well at cards, as you can see.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36I like this one, too. I like the nail varnish.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40And this is a head I bought that some people don't like.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43The trouble is that the teeth and the eyes look pretty real.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46This is my mouthpiece if I...if I need people!
0:44:46 > 0:44:49And here it is, "His master's voice."
0:44:50 > 0:44:52Ooh! Bang bang.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56Cliff Roberson has done well on the profits from the shop.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00But business has really boomed since his company expanded online.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03I'm just looking at your desk.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Where's the technology on your desk?
0:45:08 > 0:45:10Uh - you caught me out!
0:45:10 > 0:45:12Erm...I don't have any.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15I'm very low-tech.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17I am an old-fashioned guy in that sense.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21How can you function without e-mail and a computer on your desk?
0:45:21 > 0:45:23Well, I have Jacquie.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26So Jacquie does all of my e-mails in and out,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29all of that particular side of my business.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32- Do you ever touch a computer at all?- No.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36- So iPads, all that kind of thing? - Nothing.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39I have to confess, I've never even sent a text.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45So...
0:45:45 > 0:45:49Here we are, where all our stock is held.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51This is all fine Bordeaux, here.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Gruner Veltliner from Austria.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54Corison from California.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Minuty from the South of France.
0:45:58 > 0:45:59Wines from Chile.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02We're holding here about 10,000 to 12,000 cases,
0:46:02 > 0:46:04in this warehouse.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06How much do you reckon it's all worth?
0:46:08 > 0:46:10I really don't know. I would guess...
0:46:12 > 0:46:14..2.5 million.
0:46:15 > 0:46:20Historically it was a fairly upper-class business,
0:46:20 > 0:46:24supplying wines to fairly maybe upper-class customers.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26This has changed now.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30It's so broad that everybody drinks wine, from...
0:46:30 > 0:46:34It's...you know, the common tipple, to a certain extent.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39In the last eight years,
0:46:39 > 0:46:43online wine sales have grown nearly 500%.
0:46:47 > 0:46:48And in Essex,
0:46:48 > 0:46:52Tony and Simone Holland are recent converts.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Some of the finer wines actually are not as expensive as you think.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01Don't get me wrong, some of them cost quite a lot.
0:47:01 > 0:47:07But some of the real nice ones... they're not that expensive.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10DOORBELL PLAYS THE FOUR SEASONS
0:47:12 > 0:47:14- Morning.- Hello, mate, are you all right?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19- Is it your wine?- Wine's arrived.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- Packaged quite well.- I know.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23It is good, cos they put them in them sleeves, don't they,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25the bubble wrap sleeves.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Nice. They do package them good, don't they?
0:47:31 > 0:47:33- Go on. Do you want me to move this?- Yeah.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37- It's like a lilo, isn't it? - Shall I get this one out as well?
0:47:37 > 0:47:40No, shall we leave that one for the minute and do this?
0:47:40 > 0:47:43Oh, it is a different one, so we haven't tried that yet.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Yeah, we've not tried this one but it is a Shiraz.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48We've come to realise that we like Shiraz,
0:47:48 > 0:47:50but we didn't know that at first, did we?
0:47:50 > 0:47:53It was only after we'd got a few and thought, "Oh, that's nice."
0:47:53 > 0:47:55And then you looked up, didn't you,
0:47:55 > 0:47:57and had a look at the ones you had bought.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00It's only dawned on me as we started reading the labels
0:48:00 > 0:48:02it was all Shiraz, so we've got no...
0:48:02 > 0:48:04- But you didn't used to like wine. - No.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06You never used to like wine, you used to drink beer.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09I mean, it's only, literally, since our wedding
0:48:09 > 0:48:11that you've got into wines.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14I mean, you don't really like whites or roses, do you?
0:48:14 > 0:48:15You are more red.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20Tony and Simone both work in the finance industry,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23and have been married for three years.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26We got married at the Ritz, up in London.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30And we had a sommelier pick wines
0:48:30 > 0:48:32that would accompany our dish and canapes.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34And we went along, didn't we, had a try,
0:48:34 > 0:48:38picked what one we wanted and that's how you got into wines.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42Because Tony, as we say, was always a beer drinker if we went out.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46After that he was like, "Cor, that was amazing," and the sommelier guy
0:48:46 > 0:48:48explained it all, where it came from.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51And then I don't know what happened, but even on the day
0:48:51 > 0:48:54people say, "Were you nervous on your wedding...?" I wasn't.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56I knew I was getting married, that was it.
0:48:56 > 0:49:01I remember sitting there drinking red wine, and we had a few glasses that day,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04but I had the clearest head in the world. And I was like, "Wow! Can that happen?"
0:49:06 > 0:49:10I thought, "I've got to get this wine," and I looked through a couple of websites
0:49:10 > 0:49:16and I remember thinking, "That's hard work, it'd be easier to go in me car and drive somewhere,"
0:49:16 > 0:49:19and then I went onto the Roberson one and found this wine.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23I saw the postcode and it was SW, I thought, they've got their shops in Kensington High Street,
0:49:23 > 0:49:30"That's quite posh." And I thought, "Oh, I'm buying wine from there and perhaps I shouldn't be,"
0:49:30 > 0:49:34and I thought, "Hold on, it's quite reasonable." So I'd never have known.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39Do you think we're getting to a more cultured, French style of drinking?
0:49:39 > 0:49:41No, I don't think that.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43I don't think we're like the French, no!
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Maybe years ago you had to go to a nice restaurant to
0:49:46 > 0:49:50get a nice bottle of wine, I don't know. Maybe. But you don't now, do you? We're proving that today.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56I think it's more elegant having a glass of wine, you know?
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Yeah, you wouldn't get ten rugby players standing round drinking wine, would you?
0:50:00 > 0:50:03- So you're right, perhaps it's more...- Classier, maybe?
0:50:03 > 0:50:06- Yeah.- I think it's classier, yeah.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Yeah. It doesn't matter where you're from, you can
0:50:08 > 0:50:10- have a bit of class, can't you? - Yeah.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29In Coventry, it's a very special day.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Deano. Got a knife?
0:50:36 > 0:50:37Give us a knife.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Cheers, mate.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46The multi-million pound sorting machine is glitch-free and about to
0:50:46 > 0:50:50be launched, fuelling the company's hopes for a return to profit and a
0:50:50 > 0:50:53brighter future.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55MUSIC: Fruhlingsstimmen by Strauss
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Puts a smile on everyone's face.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06It should see us through
0:51:06 > 0:51:09the future, and if it works we'll get another one in and get more freight
0:51:09 > 0:51:12and bigger customers in.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18That looks great, yeah, absolutely. That looks fantastic.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22As the mastermind of the entire project,
0:51:22 > 0:51:26the last few weeks have been stressful ones for Bob.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31So we are ten days behind where we wanted to be, but that has allowed us
0:51:31 > 0:51:33to do some further testing.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37So we're pretty tested out, to be honest with you.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39There's a small group of us
0:51:39 > 0:51:43that have been working a horrendous amount of hours over the last two or three weeks.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50So you can see our freight ready to go onto the sorter this morning.
0:51:55 > 0:52:00The sun's shining, the balloons are up - it's looking good.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06With the machine about to go live,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Bob's invited the whole company to witness the fruits of his labour.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13You all right? Five minutes, yeah?
0:52:13 > 0:52:15Top man. Mikey...!
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Two minutes, two minutes down here.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Get the team over.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26We need 'em over here.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Get all the team over, two minutes.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31I don't want them to miss this, yeah?
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Top man, thank you.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42Bob's boss has the honour of officially launching the machine.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Morning, everyone.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Today is a tremendous day for the business.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52A year on from when we started to develop the idea
0:52:52 > 0:52:54that Bob came to me with,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57and after six months of testing and trialling,
0:52:57 > 0:52:59we've finally come to the big day where
0:52:59 > 0:53:02City Link can be proud to say
0:53:02 > 0:53:04that it now has sortation equipment
0:53:04 > 0:53:05in its main hub.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07So, without further ado,
0:53:07 > 0:53:13I'd just like to say thank you, everyone, enjoy the new piece of kit and good luck with it!
0:53:13 > 0:53:14CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Faster!
0:53:22 > 0:53:24HE LAUGHS
0:53:33 > 0:53:34I feel shattered.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36HE LAUGHS
0:53:44 > 0:53:47Bob, I just wanted to say congratulations,
0:53:47 > 0:53:50this is an amazing day for the business and for you personally,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52- a triumph, a real triumph. - Thank you.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00It's a proud day for me.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04Are you having a pint tonight or something?
0:54:04 > 0:54:07I'll have a rest, to be quite honest with you.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10There is a sense of relief that the lights have come on
0:54:10 > 0:54:12and it's started to sort parcels.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15I'm not going to have a pint to celebrate tonight.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17I might have eight hours' sleep.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Stood in front of all of the night shift, and I said, I need
0:54:29 > 0:54:33to be here one day looking in the whites of your eyes and say,
0:54:33 > 0:54:39"Bloody hell, it's been tough and on occasions it's not been pleasant,
0:54:39 > 0:54:41"but look where we are now."
0:54:51 > 0:54:53Good evening, Happy Christmas,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55and welcome to BBC News.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58In the past hour we've been hearing the parcel delivery company
0:54:58 > 0:55:00City Link, which employs more than 2,500 people,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02has gone into administration.
0:55:02 > 0:55:07I ask myself all the time, you know, how could a company,
0:55:07 > 0:55:12a multi-million pound company, just close in a day?
0:55:12 > 0:55:16They got the Christmas deliveries out of the way, thank you
0:55:16 > 0:55:20very much, that's the end of your job, and 14 years,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23which I've put in there,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I thought, "Thank you very much, it's the best Christmas present I've ever had(!)"
0:55:26 > 0:55:32Especially to find out off the news on Christmas Day that I was being
0:55:32 > 0:55:38made redundant, and I just find that very, very hard.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42So people who invest in business obviously want
0:55:42 > 0:55:45to see a return on their investment.
0:55:45 > 0:55:50Our owners were obviously not convinced
0:55:50 > 0:55:55that that was either going to happen, or happening quick enough,
0:55:55 > 0:56:01and clearly that would have been the reason that they decided
0:56:01 > 0:56:04not to invest any further money into the business.
0:56:04 > 0:56:09We were expecting a bumper payday, cos Christmas is the time of year
0:56:09 > 0:56:14when you go out and earn the money, you go out and
0:56:14 > 0:56:17slog your guts out and earn the money.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21But I'm owed almost £6,000. I mean, it's just a hammer blow.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25We spoke to the administrators, they wouldn't come down
0:56:25 > 0:56:28to tell the City Link staff, right.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31We had a word,
0:56:31 > 0:56:36and he said you'd be lucky to see a penny in every pound.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41And that was his words - "lucky to see a penny in every pound."
0:56:43 > 0:56:46I was angry, I was emotional. I was no different than anyone else
0:56:46 > 0:56:50who heard the news on Christmas Day.
0:56:50 > 0:56:55There's dust on the sorter, there's no parcels left any more.
0:56:55 > 0:57:00It's a warehouse with a big piece of red kit in there, and some empty cages.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02The parcel industry is competitive,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06and gets more competitive as each week passes by.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10Everyone needs to be on top of their game, on top of their strategy,
0:57:10 > 0:57:15think about the future demands of the customers, and how they can react to that quickly.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18There's enough parcels out there to support the parcel industry -
0:57:18 > 0:57:21let's just hope there's not another City Link around the corner.