What is click and collect?

While the topic of omnichannel is at the center of all discussions in e-commerce , click and collect has taken many years to develop... Although this delivery method has existed for many years, it is particularly since the health crisis linked to the coronavirus that its growth has taken place...

According to INSEE figures, as part of a 2021 survey, 82.2% of French people aged 15 to 29 have already made at least one online purchase in a year. Faced with such an opportunity, there is no doubt that e-retailers must be interested in all the possibilities available to them...

What exactly is click and collect?

Between click and collect , home delivery, ship from store or even a relay point, delivery methods are multiplying and are not the same in online sales! However, it is important to make a distinction between delivery to a relay point and click and collect.

Concretely, delivery to a relay point corresponds to nothing more nor less than delivery to a partner store, as can be seen with certain players like Mondial Relay or Relais Colis. Click and collect, on the other hand, is more like picking up from the store or company that sells a product. While this practice first developed with major brands, consumers quickly became accustomed to this particular delivery method...

What is the difference between drive-through and click and collect?

That's a good question! Drive-through is a service for picking up orders originally from a car. It's very suitable, for example, for picking up groceries from a supermarket.

Click and collect is more "urban" in concept, with a "walking" visit to the store. Now there are pedestrian drives, so the mix of genres is even more complete.

Ultimately, the two concepts are quite similar in philosophy and in practice: it is the end customer who goes to the store to collect their order.

How does click and collect work?

The way click and collect works can vary greatly from one e-commerce site to another. To fully understand how this delivery method works, you need to consider both the e-commerce retailer's and the customer's perspective.

For e-merchants

The e-commerce site manager will first need to define the collection point(s) for click and collect. You can use an OMS for this. If they only have a local store or warehouse, this can be done very easily. All they need to do is clearly specify the information related to the collection location in a dedicated interface.

However, this can become more complicated if the online sales site has to manage multiple stores or warehouses. In this second scenario, it's important to involve the entire team in this process. The manager will need to implement a solution to reduce inventory in the store or warehouse in question, as well as ensure that staff are properly trained to receive e-commerce orders.

Click and collect is above all an HR project and the involvement of teams is essential to its success!

Note that tools like Shippingbo can help synchronize stocks between multiple points of sale to ensure consistent quality of service regardless of volumes.

For customers

For the consumer, click and collect must be completely transparent. While the e-commerce site manager must face numerous technical and organizational challenges, the customer has no idea of ​​all the logistics behind each order. When presented with delivery options, they simply select in-store pickup, which corresponds to click and collect.

During the ordering process, in the checkout , the customer will be able to find all the information regarding the collection location (store name, full address, etc.) depending on the solution implemented. Once the order has been placed, the customer must be aware of the next steps in the ordering process. Whereas a customer requesting home delivery only needs to receive the package, click and collect is very different.

In fact, the customer will have to wait to receive a message informing them of the availability of their order and the conditions for collecting it. Only once the customer has been informed of the availability of their order by email or SMS will they be able to collect it. Depending on the e-commerce site, this may involve specific times, an order number to provide, or even an ID to present upon collection.

What are the advantages of click and collect?

Click and collect is a delivery method that includes many advantages... Indeed, in addition to the fact that it is often free for customers, it is also very advantageous for e-commerce site managers! Concretely, it allows them to establish a commercial relationship with consumers more easily, by placing the human at the heart of the relationship. By going directly to a store or shop, merchants can take the opportunity to present themselves in the best light, and highlight the other products they have for sale. It is a modern way of delivering products, much like a responsive design site is the best way to offer a pleasant interface.

1. Customer Convenience: Click and Collect offers customers the opportunity to shop online from the comfort of their own home and then pick up their items in-store or at a specified location, saving them the hassle of waiting or paying delivery fees.

2. Time Saving: Customers can save time by avoiding in-store queues or traveling to shop. They can also schedule their pickup at a time that suits them.

3. Flexibility: Click and collect offers customers great flexibility, as they can choose where and when to pick up their purchases. This can be especially useful for those with busy schedules.

4. Reduced Shipping Costs: Customers can avoid paying high shipping costs or having to meet a minimum purchase amount to qualify for free shipping, which can make online shopping more attractive.

5. In-Store Sales Promotion: Click and collect encourages customers to visit the store to pick up their items, which can lead to additional sales as they discover other products while browsing the aisles.

For retail businesses, click and collect can also help reduce logistics costs, improve inventory management, and deliver a more satisfying customer experience, making it a winning strategy on many levels. And yes, in addition to driving traffic to a point of sale, click and collect also helps build customer loyalty more easily!

If they are well received, they will not hesitate to order again from the company's online sales site, or to go directly to the store to make a purchase. Finally, merchants will also be able to increase their customers' basket, giving them the opportunity to complete their order if necessary...

Click and collect and Shopify: a winning combination!

If you have a Shopify store , activating click and collect will only take a few minutes! Indeed, the e-commerce solution addresses all technical issues, so you can focus solely on your true added value. With the Basic offer, it is notably possible to create up to 4 collection points (or "Locations").

In the online store settings, you will need to go to the "Shipping and Delivery" section, and then to the "Local Pickup" subsection. On this screen, you will be able to specify all the information related to the pickup points, making sure not to offer pickups at too short notice.

Finally, you can easily synchronize your inventory, particularly using a CSV file that you can import. However, if you wish, you can also manage your inventory manually, in the "Products" section and in the "Stock" subsection.

How to do click and collect on Shopify?

If you already have a Shopify site, the easiest way is to go to the Shopify settings in the bottom left corner

Then you can go to "Shipping and Deliveries" and then to "In-Store Pickup"

You now need to activate click and collect in the store and select your preferred settings for order preparation time.

Remember to save and voila! Your Shopify store is now ready to receive click and collect.

If you have multiple stores (or locations in Shopify) you can enable in-store pickup in one or more stores depending on your preferences