The internet has radically transformed how consumers shop and there’s now growing evidence that habits are evolving from home delivery of online purchase to picking up in-store. The new survey shows why customers often prefer click and collect, much of it based around convenience.
77% of respondents said that on many purchases, click and collect is more convenient for them than home delivery, with 46% of respondents preferring to use a click and collect service because there were no delivery charges.
The four key reasons of almost equal weight that were cited by survey respondents include the convenience of being able to collect their items at a time they can choose, being able to avoid queues, guaranteeing the product is definitely in stock and not having to stay at home and wait for a delivery as the key motivations for the growth of the service.
Its popularity is rising fast. The survey also showed that, in the UK, more than 50% of those asked confirmed that they were more likely to use more click and collect services now than they were a year ago. Respondents in Northern Ireland proved to be the biggest audience for click and collect, with 74% confirming they would be more likely to use it now.
When asked to rank which types of goods they’d use click and collect services for, 54% selected electrical goods, 42% selected homeware, 34% selected clothing and 23% confirmed they would use the service for food shopping.
Tom Downes, CEO of Quail Digital, said: “It’s clear from this year’s survey that click and collect is growing fast in certain categories, and shows that execution is key. 77% of customers use it because it’s perceived as convenient. Once they’ve arrived, customers want to collect and leave reasonably quickly. Retailers need to think about how they capture and expedite orders efficiently using excellent communication at their collection points to ensure the customer experience is a positive one that they want to repeat.”
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