Advertising giant WPP has entered the end-to-end e-commerce market with the launch of its new platform Everymile.

The world’s largest advertising and creative services firm will go up against established e-commerce players including THG (formerly The Hut Group) and Shopify in providing a fully managed service for brands with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce solution.

Building on WPP’s experience of setting up online operations for brands during the COVID lockdowns, Everymile will also manage logistics and delivery for retail clients with an end-to-end ‘screen to doorstep’ service.

The UK-based group said that Everymile builds on WPP’s existing global omnichannel commerce capabilities in strategy, customer experience and technology development, adding demand generation, online trading and merchandising, supply chain and logistics.

The new service will be led by Mark Steel, previously director of retail & consumer industry at Google Cloud and before that digital director at Argos, where he worked with WPP chief financial officer John Rogers, who is executive sponsor of Everymile.

Steel is joined by a leadership team drawn from a range of commerce disciplines including logistics and fulfilment, customer service, technology and CRM, and from companies including Sainsbury’s, Disney Store and ASOS.

Steel said: “Developing DTC capabilities is a strategic imperative for brands today, but we know that getting it right is complex. Everymile is there to help with those complexities, drawing upon our collective experience and expertise and helping brands short-circuit the set-up phase by using our proven go-to-market strategy, technology and partnerships.”

He added: “We see ourselves as a growth partner for clients, helping build brand awareness and driving online sales for them, saving both time and stress. We look forward to working with the world’s most exciting brands to deliver their DTC commerce ambitions.”

WPP said that Everymile will help brands to overcome many of the operational challenges in e-commerce, such as lack of customer data, cost to entry and management of multiple third parties.

The platform gives Everymile clients full ownership of their online brand experience and first-party customer data.

WPP agencies will also partner to integrate their creative and media solutions and to provide global reach and scale, the company said.

The platform will also operate on a revenue share commercial basis, ensuring client and WPP teams are focussed on customer results.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “The last couple of years have changed the way people shop forever. The acceleration of e-commerce, the shift to customers buying direct from brands, and the increasing importance of social in the commerce journey, have all meant that there is a demand for a fully managed service with omnichannel expertise.

"WPP is a leader in commerce services, with existing strength in strategy, creativity and integrated experience, and now is the perfect time to launch the Everymile service.”

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