Online order pickup gains traction in the UK
When people shop online, delivery options can make or break a sale, and offering click and collect as an option at the point of sale could prove useful for retailers. The UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper global survey conducted in fall 2013 revealed that online shoppers in Europe are willing to wait up to four days for domestic orders and as long as 10 days for international shipments – longer than those in other regions around the world.
However, a new trend is taking place in the U.K. Planet Retail recently released study findings that showed a shift toward in-store pickup as the premier method of online retail delivery. In fact, "click and collect" online shopping may account for more than three-quarters of online orders in the U.K. in the next two to three years.
"Retailers should be readying themselves for this massive shift in shopping behavior and thinking beyond traditional collection points," said Natalie Berg, Planet Retail's global research director. "… Retailers must be prepared to forge relationships with some unconventional partners in pursuit of better serving the customer."
Click and collect services are currently only available from about two-thirds of the top 50 British retailers, and just 14 percent of online merchants have more than one delivery option. To capitalize on the growing demand for more shipping choices, retailers may want to invest in ecommerce software that allows them to diversify options for shoppers.
