Click & Collect Service- The New Trend Capturing in Market
With the ever-increasing demands of consumers, shopping trends have evolved tremendously. Online shopping has been an option for over a decade but now it has taken a dramatic shift during the last few years, especially when the pandemic Covid-19 hit the world’s economy.
Click & Collect has become one of the most trending shopping choice; be it individual customers or retailers, it is equally beneficial and profitable for all. Even the wholesalers and suppliers, providing the click and collect service are enjoying the fruitful aspects of this new trend.
What is Click & Collect Service and How it Works?
Click and collect is simply an online shopping option which gives you convenience of pick-up from selected click and collect centres and pickup points.
Click and collect service is also referred to as local pickup or BOPIS; Buy Online, Pickup In-Store. By giving customers a secure and easy-to-approach pick-up point; click & collect saves customers from the unnecessary hassle of waiting for the parcel delivery and bearing delivery costs.
Benefits of Click and Collect Service for Retailers
Click and collect service essentially combines the perks of online shopping with the advantages of brick-and-mortar retail stores. It has proven highly profitable business model for retailers across the world. Let’s have a look at some of the most lucrative advantages of click and collect service that retailers can enjoy by introducing this service to their customers.
- Great Opportunity for Cross-Sell and Up-Sell
Retailers have an added advantage when customers walk into their click and collect service centre for picking up their online orders. They can manage and ensure a rewarding customer experience with the physical presence and display of all items. There are definite chances of up-selling your products to customers. Research has proved that walk-in customers usually add a few more items to their already ordered purchase once they visit the pickup centre.
- Better Customer Service
Customers have to go through a great deal of inconvenience with online orders. The waiting period and missed deliveries are considered as major troubling factors. But we cannot rule out the hassle customers have to go through with wrong order deliveries, faulty and damaged items and other such issue. Once you have a physical pickup point you can give customers better customer services. Retailers can handle and tackle issues like exchanging, replacement and returns more efficiently and effectively.
- Reduced Delivery Hassle and Costs
As customers are saved from missed and late deliveries and long waiting queues, retailers are equally benefitted by saving a great deal on delivery costs, fuel expenses, vehicle maintenance, additional delivery staff, packaging, breakage and wastage.
- Faster Fulfilment of Orders
Click and collect is an ideal pick for retail businesses running with limited resources. Without wasting any time or money on delivery costs you can fulfil your orders more efficiently. There is no need to employ extra staff or labor required for packaging and delivery of purchased goods. Retailers can benefit from this business model and manage their order fulfilment swiftly without any hassle.
- Higher Customer Satisfaction
Even if the retailer does not own a brick and mortar store or does not have one in the customer’s location; still with click and collect service retailers can give choice to customers to pick up their online order from any convenient location. Whether he wants to pick up from his workplace, a locker, physical store or curbside, with click and collect service retailers can provide a satisfying shopping experience, which is the ultimate goal of any retailer.
As a retailer when you offer your customers ease of online shopping along with the convenience of pickup options, you are not only meeting their expectations but winning their loyalty.
- Physical Presence Gives Competitive Edge over Ecommerce Giants
Many E-Commerce big names, although offering a great variety of products, are lagging behind because they are just offering online shopping with delivery at a later time. However, many local and small scale retailers have a competitive edge over these ecommerce websites by having a physical store or a physical pick-up centre.
Physical presence whether in the form of click and collect centre or a physical brick and mortar store gives a sense of security to customers and a chance for instant gratification. This eventually proves to be very profitable for retailers and local suppliers.
- Driving More Foot Traffic
Retailers having a physical store or click and collect service centre definitely drive more traffic leading to direct customer interactions and chances for promotions. Customers visiting any pickup centre can have a real-time experience. This is true for wholesale food click and collect centre where buyers can check the quality of stuff themselves, resultantly adding more items to their final purchase. Any strategy that drives foot traffic to your physical presence will definitely bring chances of profitability.
- Higher Basket Value
When customers are saving on delivery charges they tend to add a few more items to their online shopping cart; increasing your sales and boosting your profit.
- Sense Of Security
When ordering online many customers are skeptical about the quality or originality of products. Some customers are worried about the damage or wear and tear of their ordered article during delivery and transportation. click and collect service provides a sense of security as your order won’t be roaming around for delivery. You can just click online and go pick it up yourself, minimizing any chances of damage or breakage.
Read also: Why Businesses are Transforming from Cash and Carry to Click and Collect Business Model?
End Up:
Click and collect is becoming increasingly popular amongst both small and large scale retailers. Its multifold advantages make it a great business tool to increase sales, win customer satisfaction and give a thriving boost to any retail business.
