Click & Collect “driving further upsell opportunities for retailers”
A new study has indicated that Click & Collect is driving further “upsell opportunities” for retailers, as many shoppers will buy more items when they come to a store to pick up their online purchase. This was one of the key findings of the third annual JDA/Centiro Customer Pulse Report Europe 2017, conducted by YouGov. According to the study data, almost a quarter (24%) of European adults online in countries surveyed who used Click & Collect bought another item while picking up their order, according to data from the JDA/Centiro Customer Pulse Report Europe 2017(tweet this).
The survey of 8,238 adults online across the UK, Germany, France and Sweden found that Click & Collect continues to be of “significant strategic importance” for retailers, and will be a “key battleground” this Christmas. Use was particularly high in the UK, where more than half (54%) used Click & Collect, a big contrast to Germany, where Click & Collect usage was only 28%.
“Physical footfall is becoming important again, and Click & Collect represents an important vehicle for retailers to make the most of all the hard work they’re putting into the in-store experience. An effective Click & Collect operation isn’t just for Christmas, however: it can help boost sales throughout the year,” said Lee Gill, group vice president, global retail strategy at JDA.
According to JDA: “The report reveals there are still a number of customer experience issues retailers need to resolve. In particular, service levels are suffering as retailers struggle to keep pace with home delivery demands: more than half (55%) of European adults online in countries surveyed experienced a problem with an online order during the last 12 months, up from 51% a year ago. The number experiencing problems is even higher in Germany (57%) and the UK (56%). This will have negative knock-on effect for retailers: almost two thirds of European adults online (63%) stated they would likely switch to an alternative retailer next time shopping online as a result of a poor experience with ordering an item.”
JDA added that product returns is “another key area to focus on”.
“Across the European markets surveyed, almost three quarters (70%) of respondents online across Europe say the ease of being able to return items factors into which retailer they choose to shop online, a number that rises as high as 77% in Germany,” said JDA. “This is only set to become a growing trend, with European online retail sales continuing at double digit rates of growth, As European shoppers grow increasingly well-versed in online shopping, they are likely to follow suit in factoring returns experiences into their choice of retailer.”
“For retailers today, returns are much more than just a cost-recovery exercise, they are another important customer touch point,” said Niklas Hedin, CEO of Centiro. “By providing customers with more options and greater visibility into returns, retailers will increase customer satisfaction. For example, something as simple as giving customers instant email or SMS updates on their returns can go a long way towards building and maintaining customer loyalty.”
