Click and Collect

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Click and Collect describes a process in which an online order is picked up in a stationary retail store. This means that Click and Collect is a part of cross-channel marketing .

functionality

The click-and-collect function enables end customers to research and buy the products online. However, the goods are picked up in a stationary retail store. This function is usually offered as a separate option on the websites during the payment process.

Advantages over pure online orders

The benefits of Click and Collect are difficult to generalize because they come in different forms. Some providers require payment for the goods as part of the online ordering process, while others allow payment on site. However, customer surveys show the reasons for using Click and Collect and thus the perceived advantages:

Shipping cost savings
Since the goods are picked up on site, Click and Collect does not have to pay the usual shipping costs for online trading. According to a study by Bizrate Insights, this is the main reason for using the service with 55 percent of the mentions.
Flexible collection
Working people in particular cannot always receive the mail personally. Shops often have longer opening times than post offices. That is why it makes sense for many to pick up parcels directly in the store instead of at the service point of the shipping service provider.
Fast availability
Pickup is faster than most shipping options; In addition, it is ensured for customers that a certain product is actually available in the store.
Expert advice on site
While advice rarely takes place in online trading, with Click and Collect all questions can be clarified directly on site.
Additional service
With Click and Collect, the customer has the opportunity to find out about additional products and services on site and can make use of them directly.

In addition, depending on the provider, the following advantages can be added:

Testing the goods before buying
Click and Collect is particularly useful for products that have to be tried on beforehand, such as items of clothing . But also articles from other areas, e.g. B. cell phones or cameras can be unpacked and examined before buying.
Free returns
Since the goods were picked up on site, it is usually up to the retailer to take care of returns.
Secure payment options
As with regular offline purchases, customers can use the usual means of payment in the store, such as cash.

Problems with Click and Collect

According to a recent study by the JDA Software Group , around 50 percent of click-and- collect orders have problems such as:

  • The goods ordered and paid for are not in stock for collection in the store.
  • An item other than the one ordered online will be delivered to the store for collection.
  • The pick-up counter in the shop is not sufficiently marked or is part of the normal checkout.
  • long queue for pick up
  • Nobody in the branch is responsible for solving problems with click-and- collect orders.

Use of Click and Collect

The interest in Click and Collect is high on the part of consumers, but is only used by a small minority. A study by Deloitte from 2016 shows the highest usage in the USA with a share of 15 percent. The largest difference between interest and actual use is in England at 26 percent versus 8 percent. In Germany, 13 percent of those surveyed are interested and 9 percent already use Click and Collect . While click and collect is already common practice on the supplier side, especially in English-speaking countries , this form of distribution is still a specialty in Germany. In England, it is mainly large companies with a broad network of branches, such as the retailer Marks & Spencer or the supermarket chain Tesco , who also offer on-site pick-up in their online shop.

Some large companies offer Click and Collect for their own branches. Examples are Karstadt and C&A . In addition, there are also independent service providers such as StoreShip , which as a platform enable manufacturers not only to use their own branch network as collection points, but also to involve independent, stationary retailers. In Germany, atalanda created regional online marketplaces where customers from stationary retailers can order goods that they can pick up themselves or have delivered.

ROPO effect

In the meantime, the majority of purchasing decisions in numerous non-food areas are made online, i.e. consumers do research on the Internet before buying offline, i.e. in the branches. This phenomenon is also known as the "ROPO effect". ROPO is an acronym for “research online, purchase offline” (German: “research online, buy offline”) and has been observed for some time in certain areas, for example in the health, banking and tourism sectors. According to a Google study, 38 percent of all offline buyers inform themselves online before buying the product in stationary specialist shops.

This is in contrast to showrooming , in which consumers look at, touch or try out goods in specialist shops, but then order them online.

literature

  • Kai Hudetz / Adrian Hotz / Sonja Strothmann: From multi-channel to cross-channel: changing consumer behavior. Cologne, IfH, 2011, ISBN 978-3-935546-45-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Omni-Channel Retail: "Click and Collect" . NTS New Technology Systems GmbH. September 15, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  2. ↑ Buy online, pick up in store. Simple, right? Not this Christmas. . The Washington Post. December 20, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  3. ↑ Click and collect: A hat trick retailers can't pull off? . Retail customer experience. December 28, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  4. ↑ Shoppers are hesitating to try click-and-collect services for one main reason . Business Insider Inc. March 29, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  5. ↑ Click and Collect at Marks & Spencer Official website of Marks & Spencer UK, engl.
  6. ↑ Click and Collect at Argos Official website of Argos UK, engl.
  7. ↑ Karstadt expands multichannel business Article in Der Handel from November 16, 2012
  8. ↑ C&A lets online customers choose the delivery location Article in Der Handel dated November 23, 2012
  9. ↑ Click and Collect at StoreShip Official StoreShip website
  10. ↑ Meta-analysis ROPO - Research Online Purchase Offline in an industry comparison . Google. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2016.