[simple-author-box]
High delivery costs of standard online shopping will force grocers to invest more in click and collect services (TheGrocer).
How easy is it to order and pay form your groceries and then collect it from your favorite grocer? The money that the grocer saves by not delivering can be passed on to you, both you and the grocer are winning here.
What is the cost of delivering for Grocers?
Delivery costs are a hurdle for grocers making items more expensive. Adding delivery costs to the price can curtail online impulse buys.
If you are delivering goods to your customers you may be at risk losing them if the delivery is not on time, or the wrong items are packed. If your customers collect their purchase, problems with the purchase can be sorted out at the collection point.
Is Click and Collect the way forward for grocers?
Customers making use of “Click and Collect” may give supermarkets an advantage over pure online retailers because of their store network, warehouses and logistics. Also, there’s a change that when a customer comes to collect her groceries, she may decide to browse and buy in-store (Fin24).
According to TheGrocer, currently 35% of UK shoppers use click and collect, but it may rise to 76% in 2017.
Challenges that are facing Click and Collect grocers.
The implementation of collection facilities by grocers may pose new challenges (Fin24, The Telegraph):
- Customers still have to wait at up to a day to collect their purchase;
- Queues at the collection points is as long as queues at the tills in the shops;
- Cost of staff picking the order from the shop;
- Picking from the store disrupt inventory control.
Concluding
The “Click and Collect” service that grocers implement is symptomatic of the pressures that online shops exert on them.
A Marketing Plan helps you to communicate the right content to the right audience.
Also read: A Drone on My Roof – Another Delivery from my Favorite Online Retailer
Image: Flickr