Click and collect links traditional retail to the online experience. It is a simple idea, but one that has expanded the world of E-commerce in a positive and transformative way.
After the growing desire amongst consumers, for the option to be able to pick up their purchases when and where they choose was felt throughout the E-commerce industry, plans were put in place to address this.
The lack of ability consumers had to glide between in-store and online experience all within the one transaction, was just one of the many examples of what was a wider consumer choice deficit, in the early days of E-commerce.
Over the last few years, bricks and mortar stores have gone out of their ways to provide pick up points, hubs and other designated areas for picking up products online, all with the aim of making the process as simple and as fast for the consumer as possible. Selfridges for example has even opened a new drive-thru collection point on London’s Oxford Street.
So why are retailers so keen to integrate and encourage Click and Collect? Well for a start the process allows retailers to get users to visit their stores. Once in store they may embark on a more in-depth shopping experience, be exposed to products in the flesh and may very likely make more purchases. The continuity between your mobile, desktop and shop design, pulls the brand experience from online to retail, in that all important omni-channel way.
Furthermore, 79% of consumers have used Click-and-Collect as a means of shopping online, this is a significant figure and one which no savvy E-commerce retailer can ignore. A staggering 63% of consumers have used Click and Collect in the past year and this figure combined with the fact that half of consumers abandon purchases at some stage of the buying process, due to unsatisfactory delivery options, was all the reason many retailers needed, to begin looking to integrate this system.
What repeatedly attracts customers to Click and Collect, as a style of online shopping, is the fact that it allows consumers to once and for all banish the process of waiting at home for DHL or Royal Mail to drop off an item or product. Even where retailers are able to deliver to an address where no one is home and there is no need to gain a signatory, there is still the irritating appearance of a little red card. The card reminds individuals that they will have to go and look for the nearest mail depot, thus adding an extra layer of tedium and inconvenience. Click and Collect affords consumers the convenience of picking up items at their leisure and at locations of their choice. This is an irresistible advantage for many.
Consumers can also avoid standing in queues waiting to pay for goods. With Click and Collect, payment is made online, without any need to wait around.
The whole point of Click and Collect is that it provides a faster more convenient service. To ensure it does indeed provide just that, measures must be put in place by the retailer. First of all, the Click and Collect function must be clearly featured at the check out stage, or a similar location so consumers know it is available to them. Once the consumer has completed his or her transaction with Click and Collect selected as the purchase style of choice, retailers must follow this up with an email confirming the order and collection details, including clear instructions and maps showing how and where to pick up the items. Extra measures such as notification of the dispatch of goods and a text message on the day confirming that the parcel is ready for collection, also contributes to the smooth running of things and better overall customer satisfaction. Finally, the in-store pick up point must be clearly identifiable.
One retailer who is using Click and Collect incredibly well is John Lewis. They offer a free service that promises collection at a chosen shop from 2pm the following day, if orders are placed before 7pm. They are open until 10 pm on weekdays, so there is a huge amount of time that customers have to pick up items. What sets them apart from their competitors is the sheer volume of different John Lewis stores that you can opt to collect your items from. Click and Collect features’ prominently on the John Lewis website and can easily be selected at the check out stage. Emails are sent to the customer with information on where exactly to pick up the items bought and text messages are sent on the day of pick up, as a reminder that the item is ready to be picked up.
To install this incredibly useful function, get in touch with us here at Superb and we will seamlessly integrate Click and Collect, into your E-commerce platform, so you can begin your journey towards higher sales.
