New research suggests that click-and-collect services in the UK will be worth £6.5 billion by 2019 – an 82% increase on current levels as lockers, drive-thrus and store pick-up points help to drive online sales.
More than two thirds of UK shoppers have already used click-and-collect at least once – up from 51% in 2012 – with fashion items proving to the most popular.
However, the report from Verdict Research predicts that increasing demand for the service will see it account for £6.5 billion of goods by 2019, an 82% increase on current levels.
According to Verdict analyst Matthew Rubin, “Click-and-collect users are not like other online shoppers; in fact, their behaviour is quite different in a number of ways. They are more considerate in their purchasing, taking longer to research/browse, and, most importantly, they value convenience significantly, with 88% of shoppers travelling less than 30 minutes to collect their last purchase.”
Whilst clothing currently accounts for more than half the value of goods ordered using click-and-collect services, grocery is set to be the biggest beneficiary with sales expected to rise 246%. All the major UK supermarkets are installing refrigerated lockers in London Underground car parks, with Transport For London just announcing that 10,000 click-and-collect orders had been made since the scheme launched in November 2013.
Whilst not as advanced as the UK, the click-and-collect trend for grocery is fast gaining momentum in the US as more and more supermarkets tune in to the benefits that the service delivers – essentially removing the “last mile” costs associated with home delivery. Last week, Kroger announced a click-and-collect pilot in which customers submit orders online and pick up groceries at a drive-thru window. Kroger’s test is using the same technology currently deployed by Harris Teeter, the chain the company acquired last year and one of the first US supermarkets to successfully run a pick-up service for online orders.
As click-and-collect demand continues to grow for online grocery orders, having visibility into how your products are performing on the digital shelf is critical. Request a demo to find out how Profitero provides actionable eCommerce insights into your brand’s positioning online, helping to maximize the impact of your online presence in order to drive sales.
Profitero will also be attending the IGD Online and Digital Summit – come and meet us there.
