Good ideas were stuck at store level
Halfords knew their frontline employees understood their customers better than anyone. The people stocking shelves, fitting tyres, and handling returns every day could see exactly what needed fixing. But there was no structured way to capture those observations and turn them into action.
Ideas bounced around in team meetings, got scribbled on notepads, or disappeared into email threads that nobody followed up on. Even when a store figured out something brilliant (a better way to handle seasonal stock, a small change that cut customer wait times), that knowledge stayed local. The store in Birmingham had no idea what the store in Leeds had already solved.
For Dillon Pudge, Group Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence Manager at Halfords, the frustration was clear: the ideas existed, they just had nowhere to go.
Making it easy for everyone to contribute
Halfords rolled out Hives.co as their centralized idea management platform, connecting employees from every store, warehouse, and support function into one place.
Rather than asking for ideas in the abstract ("Got any suggestions?"), Halfords focused the platform around specific business challenges: improving customer service, enhancing sustainability efforts, and optimizing in-store operations. Employees were asked to think creatively about problems they actually dealt with every day.
This matters more than it sounds. The difference between "submit your ideas" and "how would you fix this specific problem?" is the difference between a suggestion box that collects dust and one that generates £759,000 in value.
Hives was integrated with Halfords' existing internal communications tools, which meant employees could contribute regardless of their role or location. No new login to remember, no separate app to download. If contributing an idea was harder than sending a text message, adoption would have dropped off within weeks.
515 ideas in six months (and £759,000 in value)
In the first six months, 1,000+ employees actively engaged with the platform, sharing 515 ideas for improvements across the business.
These weren't vague wishlists. Halfords' focused approach meant the ideas were tied to real operational challenges, and many of them were implementable quickly. The cumulative impact: £759,000 in created business value from new solutions, time savings, and cost reductions.
To put that in perspective: that's roughly £1,475 per idea submitted. Not every idea gets implemented, but enough of them did to generate significant, measurable returns in half a year.
Three things Halfords got right
1. They asked specific questions, not generic ones.
Instead of an open-ended "share your ideas," Halfords pointed employees at real problems: customer service gaps, sustainability goals, operational bottlenecks. Specific questions get specific (and useful) answers.
2. They made participation effortless.
By integrating Hives with tools employees already used, Halfords removed the biggest barrier to engagement. No new system to learn, no extra steps. The easier it is to contribute, the more people do it.
3. They acted on what they heard.
This is where most idea programs fall apart. Organizations collect hundreds of suggestions and implement three. Halfords closed the loop, showing employees that their contributions actually led to changes. That's how you sustain engagement beyond the first few weeks.
About Halfords
Halfords is a British retailer of car parts, car enhancement, tools, camping and touring equipment, and bicycles operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in Birmingham in 1892, Halfords has grown to become one of the UK's leading retailers in its chosen markets, with over 400 stores and a strong online presence.
