Click and collect continues to please consumers

Three quarters of online shoppers are currently “very satisfied” with click and collect services, according to latest eCustomerServiceIndex results from eDigitalResearch and IMRG.

The study reveals that nearly all online shoppers who have used click and collect in the past were “extremely satisfied” with their experience and would “actively recommend” the service to friends and family. Of the 2,000 online consumers surveyed, 73 percent revealed that they had used click and collect in the past, with a further 10 percent intending to do so in the near future.

The research also noted that price and convenience were the key drivers behind consumers opting for click and collect services, with almost two thirds of respondents saying they used the service as it offered free delivery, while 42 percent believed that collecting in store was more convenient than collecting from their local post office or collection centre. In addition, around 33 percent claimed their package arrived faster by using click and collect and a further 32 percent said they were planning on visiting the store anyway.

However, the survey does note that while satisfaction with click and collect was found to be high, almost half of the consumer surveyed said that a dedicated in store collection point would make click and collect deliveries more convenient for them, while one in five said they would like the ability to specify a collection time.

Derek Eccleston, commercial director at eDigitalResearch, said: "Click and collect services are growing - as demonstrated by our latest research results. However, while satisfaction is currently high, there is always room for improvement in today's world of changing consumer behaviour and instant gratification.

“Experience and effort are everything these days to consumers and delivery is a key part of the customer journey where retailers can really differentiate themselves from the rest of the competition."

Andrew Starkey, head of e-logistics at IMRG added: "UK shoppers are certainly becoming more familiar with the various forms of click and collect, be that through a retailer's own store or third party parcel stores or lockers. There is also strong evidence that retailers too are learning how to get the best from this channel and it may have a key role to play in alleviating volume issues during peak periods."