Click & Collect makes retailers money: 4 ways to improve your in-store experience

28 October 2019
Hub Box

‘Omnichannel’ might sound like a buzzword but with 79% of UK retailers offering customers the ability to buy online and pickup from store, Click & Collect is fast becoming a consumer expectation.

As well as providing customers with a convenient delivery option, in-store Click & Collect actually makes retailers more money with Internet Retailing reporting that “85% of customers say they buy additional items in store when using the service, while 77% report reduced return volumes”.

With all that in mind, why isn’t the Click & Collect experience better for customers and why are stores laden with time-consuming and disorganised processes? With our experience of supporting retailers improve the end-to-end Click & Collect journey, we have compiled our top tips for developing an in-store Click & Collect service to boost in-store sales and keep customers happy.

1. Make the checkout experience clear

Avoid cart abandonment by providing customers with convenient delivery options and by removing any uncertainty at the checkout. Throughout the customer journey there should be signposting on the Click & Collect option as well as information on price, shipping times, and what happens next.

With 85% of retailers offering free Click & Collect, customers have come to expect the store pickup option to be free of charge (even if the retailer bears the same costs as home delivery). Given the 85% of customers making additional purchases when they arrive in store to pick up items, bearing the cost of the delivery will still yield retailers great results.

2. Communicate with customers

Customers get frustrated when they arrive in store only to find that their item is not ready to collect. Communicating with customers and sending notifications when their items are ready to collect are key to providing a great experience and encouraging additional purchases in-store.

Implement a system that allows you to notify customers automatically when the item arrives. Providing an email with a collection code also allows store staff to verify the customer before handing over the order.

Automated reminder communications (when customers forget to collect their items) also ensure that precious stockroom space isn’t taken up with uncollected items.

3. Make it easier for store staff

Ensuring a great customer pickup experience is also about making things easier for store staff: easier to notify customers when items are in store (without having to phone customers); easier to locate parcels (without leaving customers waiting); and easier to mark parcels as collected (without manually crossing a name off a list).

It’s important to create organised and consistent processes to manage parcels once they arrive in-store. Some large retailers are introducing designated Click & Collect desks where customers can go specifically to collect their orders. Alternatively, letting customers know they need to pickup their order from Customer Service counters can avoid disruption and long queues at the till.

Most importantly, remove the manual and time-consuming tasks which lead to customer frustration whilst also freeing up time for staff to sell more!

4. Create a seamless experience from website to store to Customer Service

Customers have come to expect visibility and clarity on their online orders and this becomes difficult when manual processes lead to a lack of visibility across the business. Customer Service teams should have control tower oversight of online orders and the ability to answer questions such as “is my order ready to collect?”

Develop real-time tracking capabilities so that store, Customer Service and logistics teams are able to deliver the greatest possible customer experience.