Retailers Should Team Up To Meet Rising Demand For Click & Collect

Retailers should team up to meet rising demand for Click & Collect

Nine out of 10 retailers are planning to invest in Click & Collect services over the next five years with the market set to be worth almost £10bn by 2023. However, with store closures reshaping the nation’s high streets, businesses need to find new ways for shoppers to collect parcels.

That’s the conclusion of Barclaycard’s latest research which also reveals that six out of ten consumers want retailers to partner together so they can collect purchases in more locations. More than 80% of shoppers buy additional items in-store when using Click & Collect, while more than three quarters of retailers say providing the service reduces return volumes.

Convenience appears to be a driving factor behind this trend, with 42% of consumers saying that they rely on Click & Collect services because they are out during the day, and a further 15% select this option because they cannot have deliveries sent to work.

Nearly three in ten customers (29%) already pick up items ordered online at local shops or lockers, and 68% of retailers expect demand for this to increase in the next year.

By coming together to offer Click & Collect services, more retailers will be able to leverage the mutual benefits that partnerships provide, such as the potential to increase sales and reduce refunds. Yet, despite consumer demand, less than one in five retailers (17%) have started offering third-party collection services that allow shoppers to pick up purchases from other locations, such as local corner shops or lockers.

Kirsty Morris, Director, Barclaycard Payment Solutions, said: “Not only does Click & Collect offer merchants the opportunity to increase sales, our research shows it can improve the overall customer experience as a complement to online shopping, while reducing return volumes too.

“With the retail sector facing unprecedented challenges, investing in Click & Collect partnerships should be part of a long-term strategy for retailers to encourage shoppers into stores and respond to the changing shape of the nation’s high streets.”