wnDirect launches “worldwide” click and collect service
wnDirect, the cross-border e-commerce shipping specialist majority-owned by carrier DPDgroup, has launched a new “worldwide” click and collect service. wnCollect promises to allow online retailers the ability to sell to consumers overseas and offer them the chance to pick up their purchases at a designated collection point when they cannot be at home to receive a parcel.
It also offers retailers a returns process for unwanted items to be shipped back.
wnDirect said today it has the IT infrastructure and partnerships in place to allow click and collect services around the world. The service would make use of self-service parcel locker terminals, which are currently springing up in various countries around the globe.
The service would be accessed through a retailer’s own website, with wnDirect managing the API integration on a country-by-country basis, with tax payments and duty handled as part of the service.
The company also offers localised language, customer support and full tracking for shipments.
“Utopian vision”
Chloe Harris, head of innovation at wnDirect, said online shoppers used to being able to shop anywhere at any time are now expecting the same level of flexibility from their delivery options.
“We live in a busy world, and waiting in for a delivery is met with increasing intolerance,” she said. “Even specific time windows can present challenges for those whose schedule is subject to change.
“wnCollect represents the Utopian vision of an international delivery solution; the reality is even the most flexible delivery solutions can’t compete with the round-the-clock availability of a locker bank. These solutions have gathered momentum but by being able to offer this on a global basis we really are changing the delivery game.”
Last year online retail industry body IMRG predicted that the 161m orders shipped from UK retailer websites overseas would reach 384m by 2017.
With failed deliveries costing UK retailers around three quarters of a billion each year according to IMRG, click and collect has become an increasingly popular delivery channel.
wnDirect said the trend for collecting online purchases away from home is now being seen outside of the UK with the spread of alternative delivery options.
The cross-border shipping company was launched in early 2012 working with British fashion retailer ASOS before other customers joined. La Poste’s international parcel business GeoPost invested in the business in the summer of 2012, before gaining a majority 57% stake in early 2014. Geopost is now rebranding as DPDgroup.
The company said it had a turnover of around £49m in 2013.
