Click & Collect, a modern shopping method, allows customers to order products online and pick them up in-store. Unlike delivery to a pickup point, customers collect their purchases directly from the store, giving them the opportunity to discover your other products in-store.
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The Click & Collect process involves several simple steps:
Some sites allow checking product availability in-store directly from the product pages, facilitating quick pickup. This often enables “2-hour pickup” where stock is automatically reserved by the store once the order is confirmed.
At checkout, the customer selects the store where they want to pick up their products. This delivery method is usually free, and a projected pickup date is often displayed.
Payment is typically made online, but some stores offer the option to pay in-store using alternative methods like checks or cash.
Once the order is confirmed, your Order Management System (OMS) assigns it to the selected store. Your Warehouse Management System (WMS) checks product availability:
Note that alternative supply models are possible, such as systematic order preparation in the central warehouse or inter-store replenishment. Central warehouse preparation has the advantage of not using store stock and easing store staff workload in handling Click & Collect orders.
Once the order is ready, the customer receives a notification (email, SMS, WhatsApp) informing them that their products are available in-store.
The customer goes to the store to collect their order, which is then finalized in the information system.
Reducing the final bill for the customer: in 99% of cases, there are no delivery fees when a customer chooses this pickup method. Since shipping costs can represent up to 25% of product costs, this is a significant saving. It is a clear competitive advantage when your stores are near the final customer.
Many retailers offer parcel pickup services for carriers because the customer’s visit to your stores raises brand awareness and promotes your products. When the customer comes to pick up their order, your sales staff can recommend related or new products, thus generating additional sales.
Known as “ROPO” (Research Online, Purchase Offline), this shopping habit involves researching online to make the purchase in-store. Proponents justify this approach by its quick purchase process, reassurance from an unfamiliar brand, or the need to see/touch the product. Although ROPO differs from Click & Collect, its prerequisites are the same: highlighting stores on your website, displaying stock, showing hours, etc.
In the distribution chain, the last mile is the most energy-intensive and polluting. Not to mention that packaging is likely to be reduced due to final handling by the buyer. Click & Collect can thus be seen as a virtuous and ecological approach.
The main disadvantage of Click & Collect lies in the need for suitable IT tools and processes. A solid technological infrastructure is essential to efficiently manage this distribution method.
As mentioned earlier, the real challenge in offering Click & Collect is the capacity of your IT tools to manage this process. To implement a successful Click & Collect service, several IT tools are essential:
The order management tool, when importing orders from your CMS, must assign the order to the store for processing.
An alternative option is to prepare the order in your main warehouse and then send it to the store. In this case, the delivery address is changed to the store while retaining the final customer’s name.
If you choose final order consolidation in-store, your WMS tool must ensure that all products are available in-store.
If not, it must execute transfer orders from the central warehouse to the store, or from another store.
The POS system must be the unique IT tool in your stores, used daily by your teams, playing two key roles:
Boostmyshop’s myFulfillment OMS WMS tool offers key features for managing Click & Collect:
Additionally, a POS system is needed to manage:
Boostmyshop may soon offer a solution to efficiently manage product setting aside, goods receipt, and order pickup validation with its myWebPOS solution launching in Q3 2024.
Click & Collect is a strategic solution to meet modern consumer expectations while optimizing stock management and increasing in-store sales. With the right tools and processes, it is possible to fully capitalize on this distribution method.