Since its appearance in the 2000s, Click and Collect has been increasingly successful with consumers and merchants, especially since the health crisis.
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Click and Collect, what is it?
The consumer has the possibility of choosing and ordering articles directly on the internet, via the brand’s online store. He has access to the entire seller’s catalog and can schedule the day and time of withdrawal. He then collects his items on site. Payment is made directly online or in store. Some brands also offer home delivery.
Soon the end of “dark stores” in France?
Management benefits for merchants
In France, 15% of online orders are linked to the catering sector. Many supermarkets, restaurants and fast food outlets have been offering online or telephone ordering services since the 2010s. But with the sudden onset of the health crisis in 2020, restaurateurs had to adapt quickly and diversify as much as possible. possible their supply system.
Some do not hesitate to call on e-commerce digital tool companies to help them manage their online sales.
For instance, click and collect with Click Eat allows merchants to create their online store, view orders in real time, manage inventory and benefit from marketing support. The merchant’s store is associated with Click Eat and becomes a partner. The customer therefore has the possibility of going through Click Eat to view all the associated stores and make his choice.
The catering sector is not the only one to be widely associated with Click and Collect. Bookstores and clothing stores have also joined the movement. They were thus able to cope with their “non-essential” trade status during the health crisis by continuing to welcome the public.
Today, this trend has remained with merchants, who find several advantages in it:
- Streamlining order management during peak hours;
- Customer loyalty;
- SEO on the internet;
- The tendency of shoppers to spend more when online.
However, since the end of health restrictions, some restaurateurs want to keep the influx and consumption of customers within their establishment.
Consumers and Click and Collect
The take-out sale has been a great success with consumers for more than 20 years. It is estimated that approximately 80% of French people have already used this system, which explains the favorable reception given to Click and Collect.
Unlike home delivery, Click and Collect does not incur any shipping costs. It’s also a convenient option for people who don’t want to or can’t drive. As merchants manage their inventory in real time, no delivery date is missed. However, delivery services are sometimes delayed due to traffic, weather or other factors. In this case, the “click and collect” system generally offers an alternative to customers who cannot wait for a missed delivery date.
For those who have few free hours in a day or who face an unforeseen event, it is also an option that seduces by its speed.
Buyers also appreciate that each item has a detailed description on the site, which prevents purchasing errors.
The future of Click and Collect
If the Click and Collect seduces by its many advantages for consumers and merchants, it is however excluded that it overshadows the traditional way of shopping or shopping. Some prefer to have physical contact with the item they wish to purchase and benefit from in-store sales advice.
Nevertheless, with the ever-increasing extension of internet access, including in rural areas, one can think that Click and Collect will tend to become more and more widespread among traders.
