May 19, 2014 Industry news
According to a leading expert in the retail industry, the new online collection method that means shoppers still have to pick up their purchases in-store will not last five years.
However, the former boss of Iceland, Wickes and Focus, Bill Grimsey, has said that he soon expects the method to be replaced with more convenient delivery options.
This may include a wheelie bin-style drop-off point, which through asset tracking could be opened remotely by the customer once the courier is about to make the delivery. Not only would this be a secure way to make deliveries when online shoppers are away from home; it would also cut down on the need for trips to central package-holding facilities after a missed delivery.
Grimsey, who was speaking at an industry breakfast event, commented that these new developments were down to a shift in the dynamic of power between retailers and the consumer.
He stated that as online shoppers became savvier with their choices, along with the new options open to them through the Internet, there would be a need to cater closely to their personal requirements.
Click and collect was seen as an industry reaction to this trend. However, it may be obsolete by the time it gets up to speed. Many brands are already looking at ways to meet the consumer half way with their transactions, in order to make processes as convenient as possible for them.
This includes collection points along the busy commuter routes, such as at train stations, as well as specially designed pick-up lockers, which are already being trialled in London by Amazon.