How Camelot, who runs the national lottery in the UK became the “lottery winner”
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Exporting in the ‘new normal’ world
Its export, but not as we know it
Anybody involved with exporting and global trade is facing many unprecedented challenges and, indeed, also, some opportunities, so look at making the assets sweat and a DTC model
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Camelot says the switch to digital lottery helped fend off the worst of the Covid impact on shop sales
How Camelot, who runs the national lottery in the UK became the “lottery winner” by restructuring their main lottery platforms by going online
Various forms of national lotteries are played in more than 45 countries, in different ways and operating platforms but in many cases, they play an important on people’s lives and raising important funds for good causes.
Mostly, they are sold via retailers, so when retail was severy curtailed during the COVID-19 sales fell in many countries, also in the UK.
After an initial plunge of 18% in the first weeks of the pandemic crisis in March, Camelot launched an advertising blitz to encourage players to go online rather than in shops. They even produced video guides on how to play the lottery online.
That drove some 1.3 million new online registrations and triggered a surge in digital sales.
Overall, digital sales jumped £455.2 million and retail fell £522 million in the half-year to 26 September, so they almost recovered the lost retail. So, total sales fell less than 2% in the past half-year despite the chaos at shops caused by Covid lockdowns.
Camelot postponed many of its big promotions in the early months of the crisis, while its Euromillions game in collaboration with the Spanish and French lotteries was hit by Spain cancelling some of its games.
In other major European countries, operators were less agile and did convert retail sales on to online so in Italy sales by 10%, France 30% and Spain, home of probably the oldest state lottery in the world, ticket sales fell by a massive 50%.
Nigel Railton, the chief executive, said: “Believe it or not, this is our second-best first half-year ever but perhaps that doesn’t reflect the seismic shift we have had to make in the period. As we went into the pandemic, 70% of our business was from retail shops and that fell 30% overnight. That was really quite alarming.”
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Online UK lottery platform
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Online Euromillions lottery platform.
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Key learning:
You simply need to be one step ahead 24/7 in the new global online world with post COVID shopping changes
Ongoingly assess your sales channel ratios and be ready for the next even newer offerings trend.
The Camelot group had left themselves too open with its 70% sales from retail outlet alone, which fell by 30% overnight during the first lockdown. They turned it around and went directly to the customers leaving the “middleman” out.
All set around an experience where you can purchase your ticket any time and anywhere you are online with customers are no longer depending on going to the shops.
It might sound ever so logical and easy, but the completely unplanned and unforeseen declining main sales channel meant that most importantly it saved the Lottery during the Corona lockdown and adapted their business model to a stronger focus on online
Make your assets sweat. Retailers and manufacturers with an omnichannel structure have survived the best, and with many places facing some big changes in shopping patterns, you must accelerate your migration to a hybrid business model.
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Time to be ready and reset for 2021 adapting to your customers’ needs and expectations
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I am not saying that this is an easy challenge, but here at Optimum Export, we like to believe that we have some ideas, based on best practice from businesses such as yours across the world, on how best to kickstart your export and 2021, helping you to adapt to the new ‘normal world’. #growexport
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Do get in touch
hlp@optimumexport.com
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