The future of fashion retail is efficient and easy click and collect services; a low-risk solution for a fast-paced industry. Originally, the rapid digitalisation of retail was viewed as a threat to brick and mortar – until click and collect arrived among the surge of omnichannel popularity. Offering a collaboration between e-commerce and brick and mortar, more and more retailers are employing the use of iPad kiosks to improve the physical shopping experience. By utilising a cost-effective method where the physical and digital world are harmonised, the retailer is able to deliver the ultimate customer experience.
First Steps
Click and collect is regularly the first step that retailers take on their digital transformation journey. Popular as a credible and successful method to improve the physical shopping experience, it now stands as an integral part of retail. Since its rise in popularity, click and collect is now expected by customers as a standard shipping option. Allowing the customer to order for no extra cost, from the comfort of their own home and collect at a time that suits them, click and collect adheres to the impatience of 21st century shoppers. No shipping time means returns can be made almost immediately, greatly improving customer experience and the reputation of the store.
Drive Growth
Whilst having many benefits for shoppers, click and collect is also an organic way to grow business and drive sales. Offering click and collect encourages customers to come to the physical store, increasing footfall and therefore an uplift in sales. At New Look, 25% of click and collect customers make an additional purchase in store – ultimately driving growth and profit. Additionally, when customers come to the store to collect their product they can be reassured the product is correct and good quality, reducing the number of returns and associated costs. By motivating customers to come into the store after ordering online, the line between brick and mortar and e-tailing is blurred and the outcome is a seamless, efficient process.
Bouncepad click and collect kiosk at New Look
Switch It Up
Switching traditional tills and employees with iPad kiosks is an efficient and cost-effective click and collect setup. User-friendly iPads are familiar to shoppers, require little up-keep and take up very little room. These kiosk stations also offer a separation between click and collect customers and footfall customers. Separation is key to the process as it ensures the customer is experiencing the service they previously opted for, rather than arriving and having to stand in a queue with everybody else. This requires no extra staff and drastically minimises queue size, leaving the customer feeling satisfied with their purchase and the service they have received – at no extra cost to you. A fast and effective click and collect service ensures the customer will walk back through the shop without the blinkers of collecting their purchase and will therefore be receptive to browsing your store and succumbing to impulse purchases.
Bouncepad click and collect kiosk at Sainsbury’s
High street retail stores such has H&M, New Look and TU at Sainsbury’s installed Bouncepad iPad kiosks in their shops to offer optimum customer experience via click and collect.