The future of click & collect post pandemic

5th February 2021

Click & collect is the ultimate link between digital and physical retail.

Consumer familiarity with it can only have been strengthened because of events in 2020, including the number of retailers that have offered it as a service for the first time.

In our previous blog post, we looked at how retailers have evolved their click & collect offering in response to the pandemic.

But what will click & collect look like post-pandemic, whenever that will be?

IMRG data shows 54% of consumers in 2020 were willing to travel between two to five miles to collect an online order from a store, which should give retailers confidence there will be demand from local shoppers if they offer it.

Here are five click & collect trends to look out for post pandemic.

Harmonise stores and online

From Majestic Wine temporarily closing stores to use them as online distribution hubs to Cotswold Outdoor launching an online booking service for in-store appointments, retailers merged channels like never before in 2020. Click & collect is part of that trend.

“One thing the pandemic has shown is that if retailers do not have a decent understanding of their stock management and are unable to fulfil a customer need from a store or online location they’re going to struggle,” says David Williams, a UK-based eCommerce consultant, who has worked for Decker Brands, New Look, Hawes & Curtis, and Aspinal of London.

Consider retailer partnerships

Mature multichannel retailers like Asda, Argos, Next, and John Lewis are not afraid to partner with third parties to scale their click & collect reach. Others are taking note.

Communicate choice and convenience

Use of the PUDO fulfilment points is lower in the UK compared to other parts of Europe: “The best way to promote it is by providing it as a delivery option through the online checkout,” explains Gary Carlile, CSO at Consignor.

“To make it more appealing, you could: rank it as the number one delivery option in your checkout; make it the only free delivery option; include a small free gift/sample with every collection; or promote it as the most environmentally-friendly option,” he adds.

Go with the flow

Independent retailers, pubs, restaurants, farm shops and even local waste management facilities – in addition to the wider retail industry – ramped up reservations and click & collect during the pandemic.

Consumers are now more used to engaging with brands or services in this way than ever before – arranging appointments for their shopping and other activities – making it an opportune moment to introduce new PUDO channels.

Give shoppers a reason to come to stores

For brands still wanting to operate shops or for those who cannot afford to depart long leases, click & collect is a way to encourage footfall and provide free ‘delivery’: “We’ll see a lot more curated experiences, appointments to collect orders or to try things on before purchasing – that will be the future of click & collect post pandemic,” predicts Williams.

This is the second blog in our series. If you are interested in learning more about how retailers evolved their click & collect offering in response to the pandemic and how to drive store footfall and enhance the buying experience with click & collect, please click on the link below to download the FREE “Click & Collect Evolution In Retail” report.