3 Catalysts for Click and Collect Retail
By Divya In BOPISIn last year’s survey report, about 50% of consumers reported ordering items online for in-store pickup. One year later, there’s been unprecedented growth in this omnichannel retail strategy, as 81.4% of shoppers surveyed report using “Click and Collect” or “Buy Online Pickup in Store” (BOPIS).
However you refer to it, shoppers are all for it. What’s the reason behind the 62% jump in in-store pickups of online orders? The research from this year’s shopper trend report shows several factors from convenience to saving money as part of the driving force behind the trend.
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- The convenience of online shopping
There are few downsides to online shopping. Shoppers don’t have to leave the house, stores are open 24/7, and customers can see everything in stock and sorted by a variety of fields like size, colour, season, etc., with a tap of a finger or a click of a mouse. Click and collect is the natural evolution of eCommerce for consumers who prefer to shop online but crave instant gratification.According to the iVend survey, 44% of respondents favour click and collect retail because it saves them from wandering up and down aisles looking for an item. It’s so much faster to go straight to the designated online order pickup area, collect the items and get out.For the undecisive, click and collect provides the opportunity to consider all the possibilities before clicking on the buy now button. In fact, 38% of survey respondents reported using click and collect because they like taking their time when deciding on a purchase.
- The instant gratification of in-store shopping
BOPIS is ideal for shoppers who like ordering online but hate waiting for an item to ship or who don’t want to pay shipping charges. Click and collect retail eliminates both the wait and the costs associated with shipping.iVend’s survey notes that 47.4% of people choose click and collect to avoid shipping charges, while 38.9% want to have their items right away, rather than waiting for shipments to arrive.The added flexibility around returns plays a factor in the click and collect retail trend as well. Buying online, picking up in store alleviates the added hassle of having to ship back unwanted, damaged or ill-fitting items. Nearly a quarter (21%) of those surveyed cited easy returns as a motivator for choosing to pick up an online order in a store when presented with the option at checkout.
- The boost in retail sales
According to a report by real estate giant CBRE, BOPIS and its sister method, buy online ship to store (BOSS), have increased sales for major retailers. According to the same study, home improvement store The Home Depot in the United States reported that 47% of online orders are picked up in store. The increase in in-store pickups is directly related to the boost in sales.iVend Retail customers also report an increase in sales revenue after implementing click and collect capabilities because of the increase in foot traffic to their brick and mortar locations. Driving foot traffic gives retailers the opportunity for additional sales from impulse buys and peripheral items or services.
Making Click and Collect Retail Work
With more retailers offering click and collect services to increase sales and in-store traffic and more consumers taking advantage of it for the convenience and time-saving factors, it’s a great time to implement this omnichannel strategy into your retail ecosystem, if you haven’t already.
For click and collect to be successful, it’s imperative that backend systems are fully integrated. Your inventory has to sync with your eCommerce store and with your point of sale – and hopefully your ERP. It all has to be connected to make it work and to realize the ROI that other retailers are enjoying by offering BOPIS and BOSS in their stores.
If you are ready to take your omnichannel to the next level with an integrated omnichannel ecosystem that can support click and collect services, contact us for a free demo of iVend Retail’s retail management system.
Executive Vice President of Global Partners and Alliances for CitiXsys, Paula Da Silva has more than 25 years of experience in information technology. Since 2006, Paula has been instrumental in building iVend Retail into a global market leader in the retail industry and currently spearheads the recruitment of channel partners to expand iVend Retail’s worldwide footprint. As a thought leader she has authored multiple online articles for publications like Apparel, Retail Touchpoints, Total Retail, RIS News and Multichannel Merchant. Frequently invited to speak, she’s made appearances at Retail Now, The Australian Retailer Association and at Sage Partner Community events. Paula’s passion for retail extends to her personal life where she has made shopping an art form, visiting premier shopping destinations around the globe from Sydney to Los Angeles.
