Creating an Effective Click & Collect Strategy For Your Store

The appeal of Click & Collect is more than just a response to the current situation, though. It combines traditional retail shopping and the convenience of online. With an effective strategy I believe it can be a valuable channel for your business now, as well as into the future.

Why  customers love Click & Collect

More and more customers are choosing Click & Collect as their preferred way of shopping.  Some of the reasons they love it are:

• They can research online beforehand and choose exactly what they want
• They can collect at a time that suits them and this takes away the stress of making sure someone is available to receive a delivery
• It saves on shipping costs which means they have more cash to spend on other things
• They know the item they want is available and ready for them when they get to your store

The modern customer is informed and knows what they want and Click & Collect puts them firmly in the driving seat.

Does it make sense for your business?

Click & Collect is an excellent way to support your brick and mortar business by taking the opportunities e-commerce presents, while including convenience and cost savings to your customers.

One of the biggest concerns I often hear from retailers new to ecommerce is that they pride themselves on their in store experience and customer service and worry that they will lose this factor online. The beauty of Click & Collect is you get to have your cake and eat it too, 24/7 sales ability online but still attract customers into your retail store giving you an opportunity to increase sales through cross-selling and customer service.

Here is where accurate product data can shine in your internal systems, do your staff have quick and easy visibility of:

• Cross sell or upsell products
• Accessories/add-ons
• Alternatives/Replacements

For example if a customer has purchased a dress shirt, your sales staff can offer a scarf or accessories when they collect, or mention the new color range coming soon the customer may not know about yet.

Your physical location and operating hours play a big factor here too, think about other stores or services nearby you. Often customers will be looking to combine trips so being able to shoot in and pick up their order on the way home from work or while they stop to fill up their car can be a big bonus.

I won’t go into it in detail in this blog but if operating hours do pose a challenge then consider options like Click & Collect lockers outside your premises or some areas have Remote Pickup locations provided by postal service providers.

Lastly it’s always worth doing a bit of homework on  your competitors. Do they already offer this as an option? If they do, you could be losing out on sales opportunities. If they don’t, now is the time to differentiate your e-commerce offering and get that leading edge.

Make it EASY!

Click & Collect does not have to be expensive to implement in your business.

Make it EASY and accessible and you can give your customer a great shopping experience.  This takes only a few steps.

1. On your online site make it clear Click & Collect is available and make it easy to select
2. Make sure your online inventory management is up to date so “in stock” is accurate
3. Keep your customer informed and let them know when their order is ready to collect
4. Show customers exactly where to go in store with clear Click & Collect signage
5. Have a dedicated Click & Collect counter or section with no long queues
6. Train your staff well for possible cross-sells, and a create a great customer experience
7. Also don’t forget my 4 tips for offline product pick up in my last article

We are in a time of disruption when making the most of all opportunities is critical. I believe Click & Collect is a good bridge between your retail and online store and should be exploited, especially in a time where people are very conscious of social distancing and reduce contact when out of the home.