Christmas surge in 'click-and-collect' points way toward multi-channel future

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New research shows that click-and-collect was the success story for retailers this Christmas, with 20% of shoppers buying items online for in-store collection in the run-up to the festive season.

Experience design agency Foolproof asked 1000 shoppers whether they had bought an item online for in-store collection in the run-up to Christmas 2013.

In total, 20% of respondents said they had done so, with those on higher incomes being 50% more likely to use the service than those on low incomes (24.4% vs 16.2%).

With UK retail spend estimated to have been worth £12bn during the four day run-up to Christmas alone click-and-collect has emerged as one of the main drivers behind another big increase in online sales:

–       John Lewis recently reported a 60% increase in sales from click-and-collect compared with 2012, and were one of a number of high profile retailers who got serious about click-and-collect in 2013.
–       More than half of all Marks & Spencer’s online orders are now collected in person.**
–       Others who pitched in with new or improved propositions in the last year include Argos, Asda, Boots, Debenhams, Selfridges, Tesco and Waitrose.

Peter Ballard, Managing Partner of Foolproof said:
“Click-and-collect offers an enticing win/win for both retailers and consumers. Consumers can still enjoy all the benefits of shopping around on digital channels at their leisure, but can avoid the more frustrating side of the online retail experience such as queues, inconvenient and unreliable delivery times and the hassles of returns. For retailers it is a significant driver for online sales, but also pulls customers in-store, where smart retailing can lead to further purchases and ancillary sales.

Most of all, it shows that retailers are finally getting to grips with the realities of multi-channel retailing. Click-and-collect requires digital and physical retailing skills, and works best when the store and digital teams work together to deliver a seamless experience for the customer.”