Let’s be honest, the pandemic has made every organisation re-visit their business model.
Whether you like it or not, the world has been forced to become more and more digital, with retail in the centre of these changes.
To survive these rapid changes, your business model needs to adapt to this digital age.
Additionally, with hygiene and social distancing currently at the forefront of everybody’s mind, it is essential that retailers create a framework which means their customers can enjoy shopping without compromising their safety.
How do you do that?
Introduce click and collect.
What you can expect in this article:
Where do shoppers collect?
Organisations can implement click and collect in three main ways: allowing customers to pick up items from a third-party location, like your local Co-op; giving shoppers the chance to select one of the organisation’s stores to pick up from; or giving customers the chance to pick up their goods from a centralised click and collect hub, like an outdoor drive-through.
You could also choose a number of these, depending on the circumstances of your business, like your budget.
Communicating with your customer
Remember, click and collect should be an ‘easy option’ for the customer.
Be sure to communicate with your customer from the moment they place an order, until after they have picked it up.
To make things a bit clearer, follow these key communication touch points:
- When a customer makes a purchase, re-confirm their order details along with clearly highlighting the directions for collection.
- Keep shoppers up to date with the shipment stages of their order.
- Let shoppers know that their order is ready to be picked up and again, include any necessary details regarding location, order number and what the customer should bring with them when collecting, including essential identification.
- If the order is not collected straight away, regular reminders – including when the order will be held until – should be sent.
- Once collected, send a thank you email. Not only will this strengthen business-consumer relationships, but it will also add value to your reputation.
Make sure it is achievable for you
While click and collect is becoming more common, it can be really easy for businesses to fall into the trap of mimicking other business models, which don’t necessarily work for them.
You might benefit from seeking support with this. There are specialist companies out there, like Oxygen Graphics, who specialise in helping to grow and develop businesses.
Get them involved and they can help integrate a click and collect system into your business plan while keeping your company in mind.
Consider staff levels, retail space and potential storage before deciding how your click and collect system works.
Make sure you have designated parking spots, when possible; items pre-sorted and ready for pick up; and clear click and collect signage.
Remember, convenience plays a key factor in why people choose to click and collect, so it is pivotal that the system never compromises customer experience.
Cross promotion
While click and collect engages with your digital audience, that doesn’t mean that you can’t tempt shoppers to visit your store in person.
Use successful click and collect shops to promote exclusive in-store discounts and future shopping experiences.
