Exclusive: Allwyn to increase rep support by over 50% as it prepares to take over National Lottery

Independent retailers are to see an increase in rep support this year as incoming National Lottery operator Allwyn, confirms a field team expansion of over 50%.

The firm is set to takeover as operator on 1 February, and in a bid to remind stores of its ambition to “grow retail”, it confirmed to bR.com, that a rep recruitment drive will take place “over the next couple of months”, with the intention to have a full team trained up and in place by late spring.

Retail director Alex Green confirmed the size of the firms field sales team will grow from 100 to 155, representing over a 50% increase.

“We need to recruit some additional management to oversee the reps, but the plan is to have that time in place very soon,” said Green.

Speaking about the impact of this on partnered stores, he explained: “We see this as really good in terms of supporting our retailers, and enabling them to sell as many National Lottery products as possible, and we understand reps play a crucial role in that.”

Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Allwyn assures retailers of reliable service connectivity ahead of National Lottery takeover

Green intends for this to represent a “clear signal” to retailers that Allwyn is “investing” in them. Earlier this month, the firm confirmed that 97% of existing independent retailers completed the retailer transfer agreement, to continue operating the service once the changeover from Camelot takes place.

When it was announced that Allwyn would be operating the National Lottery this year, some retailers expressed concern of its “digital-first approach”. However, Green reassured stores this messaging has been “misconstrued”, and instead the firm intends to “utilise technologies to better facilitate retail”.

“We intend to grow retail, and there’s multiple different ways that we could do that,” he said. “And right now, we can’t do everything, so it’s big challenge of prioritisation. There are big opportunities for retailers coming up that will have a big impact on sales and return to good causes.

“It isn’t going to happen at the flick of a switch, but we will start to build towards it this year, and just ask for a little bit of patience. As we move through 2024, retailers will see more and more ways to show how we are focusing on retail.”