Christmas Click & Collect shopping growing in popularity – despite the perceived issues
More than a third of UK-based Christmas Click & Collect shoppers encountered issues with their ‘Click & Collect’ orders, according to the second annual JDA/Centiro Christmas Customer Pulse report. The study, which was carried out by YouGov, found that, of those that encountered any of the issues listed, not having a dedicated area in-store for ‘Click & Collect’ purchases (31%), long waiting times due to lack of in-store staff (31%), and staff being unable to / taking a long time to locate items in-store (24%) were cited as the primary reasons that potentially had a negative impact on Christmas ‘Click & Collect’ customers’ shopping experiences.
In a statement issued today (11 January), JDA said: “33% of online Christmas shoppers stating they had experienced issues with their purchases (an increase from 31% the previous year). Of those shoppers that had encountered any of the problems listed, 48% had suffered from late deliveries or never received their goods; a further 48% had suffered from missed deliveries including when they were at home. Unsurprisingly, more than three-quarters (77%) of Brits online said they would be likely to switch to shopping with an alternative retailer next Christmas as a result of a poor online Christmas shopping experience.”
Commenting on the results, Jason Shorrock, vice president of retail strategy at JDA, said: “While online retail continues to see unprecedented growth in the UK, Christmas shoppers continued to be plagued with problems concerning their online orders. While issues with home deliveries are nothing new, more worrying for many retailers is that this Christmas exposed cracks in their ‘Click & Collect’ operations.
“Shoppers are showing a growing preference for ‘Click & Collect’ as it offers them the convenience they crave and it is vital that retailers get it right. However, without the effective management of staff, stores and inventory, retailers risk damaging customer relationships. Ironically, at a time when the online channel continues to grow, the in-store experience is becoming ever more important. As the survey findings show, today’s online customer has no qualms about taking their business elsewhere if retailers don’t meet their expectations.”
The research highlighted that – despite the perceived issues – a growing number (41%) of online Christmas shoppers still opted to use ‘Click & Collect’ services this Christmas compared to 2014 (39%). What’s more, of those respondents that used ‘Click & Collect’ services this Christmas, nearly one in four (24%) said they would use ‘Click & Collect’ more next Christmas. Around 56% said they used Click & Collect to avoid delivery charges, while 49% said it was more convenient than home delivery.
