An increasing number of retailers began to roll out click and collect to offer a better shopping experience while boosting sales. We’ve come up with a rundown of the steps to set up click and collect on your e-commerce store with examples of companies that are already doing it to great success.
What is click & collect?
Click & collect refers to buying products online and picking them up in-store or from a specified pick-up location at a time that suits the customer.
“Click and collect” is a hybrid e-commerce system where customers order goods online and pick them up in a store or at some agreed-upon location. Click and collect is also referred to as “buy online, pickup in store” or BOPUS.
Click & collect retail is also known as “buy online, pick up in-store” or “in-store pick up”. This delivery option has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it combines the convenience of online shopping with the immediacy of shopping in-store.
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How does click & collect work?
Click & collect is extremely straightforward. First, the customer searches for and selects products online and adds them to their shopping cart.
Then, on the checkout page, they select in-store pickup or click & collect as the delivery method. The customer chooses the physical store or specified pick-up location where he/she wishes to pick up the products, as well as the date and pick-up time.
Once the online order has been placed, the retailer starts preparing the products to be picked up by the customer. The retailer notifies the customer by e-mail or text message when the products are ready to be picked up.
The customer goes to the physical store or specified pick-up location on the date and at the time selected, shows the order confirmation and is handed over the products.
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5 examples of quick click & collect for retail
The following are just one of many examples of quick click & collect for retail:
- Walmart: Offers an online pickup service through which customers place orders online and pick them up at the physical store on the same day.
- Target: Has a drive-up service, so users can buy online and pick their order up from a designated area in the store’s parking lot.
- Best Buy: With the store pickup service, customers buy online and pick up their order in-store within an hour.
- Decathlon: Offers the online click & collect service. Customers can place orders online and pick them up at a physical Decathlon store.
- Apple: With its personal pickup service, customers can buy online and pick their order up at a physical Apple store within an hour.
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Benefits of click & collect
There are lots of reasons you should roll out click & collect solutions on an e-commerce store:
- It improves customer experience: By offering click & collect, customers can pick up their orders at the physical store or a specified pick-up location; providing greater flexibility and convenience compared to traditional shipping options. This can boost customer satisfaction and foster customer loyalty.
- It boosts sales: By offering click & collect, customers are more likely to place an order online, as they can pick them up somewhere convenient. What’s more, they might want to add extra products to their order when they visit the physical store to pick up their original order.
- It reduces delivery costs: Allowing shoppers to pick up their orders in-store or from a specified pick-up location cuts down on delivery costs while getting rid of the need to have extra stock in physical stores.
- It drives traffic to the physical store: Customers who come to pick up their orders in-store might also look at other products, which could boost traffic and sales.
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Offer Click & Collect: requirements
If you want to offer your customers the option of Click & Collect at checkout, you have several options depending on your company and product type. Here are the most popular types of Click & Collect:
Own a website
Having your own website is a smart investment for many reasons. For example, you can use your web presence as a point of contact for Click & Collect purchases without having to use too many technical extras. If payment is processed on site, only one ordering function is required.
Especially for small businesses and restaurants, this Click & Collect variant requires little effort and low costs, making it ideal.
Online store or e-commerce platform
If you have your own online store, you can usually easily activate the Click & Collect system. Most of the available store applications, such as Shopify or WooCommerce, as well as many modular content management systems, have corresponding functions for integrating Click & Collect into the ordering process. In case it is not included in the standard installation, there are usually extensions for this (plug-ins, add-ons, etc.).
POS systems
Some POS systems like Shopify POS (Point of Sale) also have activatable functions to implement Click & Collect. If your store system, CMS or modular system doesn’t support offering the collection service, this could be a good alternative.
Sales or ordering platforms
Whether it’s Amazon or anything else, large platforms for ordering products of various kinds offer this kind of marketplaces. If you want to sell products through these marketplaces, you also have the option of offering the Click & Collect option when ordering. However, in this case you must consider the rather high commission that is usually paid.
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Steps for setting up click & collect on your e-commerce store
Here are the ones you need to follow. Take note!
1. Set the pick-up time and place: Set the pick-up location and time so that the customer can arrange their visit to the store.
2. Set up the click & collect option: Set up your online store so that users can select click & collect as a delivery method.
3. Notify the customer: Make sure you notify the user when the products are ready to be picked up. You can do this by sending an e-mail or text message.
4. Prepare the products to be picked up: Do this before the scheduled time. Check that all products are in good condition and working order.
5. Give clear instructions: Give simple and detailed instructions on how to pick up the order at the physical store or specified pick-up location. Make sure the customer knows exactly where to go and how to pick up their order.
6. Provide exceptional customer service: Confirm that all store employees are up to speed and ready to always assist customers.
7. Measure customer satisfaction: Conduct a customer acceptance survey after the customer has picked up their order.
To sum up, click & collect has become increasingly popular in recent years because of how convenient and flexible it is. Retailers who adopt this system can offer their customers a more pleasant user experience while boosting sales. By following these steps to set up your free click & collect service, you’ll be one step closer to offering a more satisfying shopping experience while boosting your revenue.
Roll out this system for your click and collect stores to take your business to the next level! We can advise you at PayRetailers. Get in touch with our professionals!
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