Retailers must team up to meet rising demand for Click & Collect

Nine in ten retailers are planning to invest in Click & Collect services over the next five years with the market set to be worth almost £10bn by 2023
However, with store closures reshaping the nation’s high streets, businesses need to find new ways for shoppers to collect parcels
Six in ten consumers want retailers to partner together so they can collect purchases in more locations
Over eight in ten shoppers buy additional items in-store when using Click & Collect, while more than three quarters of retailers say providing the service reduces return volumes

New research from Barclaycard reveals that since offering Click & Collect a third of retailers (34 per cent) have seen in-store sales increase*. With the UK Click & Collect market set to grow 45 per cent to be worth almost £10bn by 2023**, retailers are planning to capitalise on this demand with 90 per cent intending to invest in the service over the next five years.

Almost nine in ten retailers (87 per cent) say Click & Collect is their fastest growing delivery option, with seven in ten shoppers (68 per cent) now choosing to pick up online orders in-store. Convenience appears to be a driving factor behind this trend, with 42 per cent of consumers saying that they rely on Click & Collect services because they are out during the day, and a further 15 per cent select this option because they cannot have deliveries sent to work.

Against a backdrop of widespread store closures taking place across the UK, 60 per cent of Brits are calling on businesses to team up so that they can collect purchases in more locations. Nearly three in ten customers (29 per cent) already pick up items ordered online at local shops or lockers, and 68 per cent of retailers expect demand for this to increase in the next year.

The dual benefit of Click & Collect partnerships

By coming together to offer Click & Collect services, more retailers will be able to leverage the mutual benefits that partnerships provide, such as the potential to increase sales and reduce refunds. Indeed, over eight in ten customers (85 per cent) say they buy additional items in store when using the service, while more than three quarters of retailers (77 per cent) report reduced return volumes, which ultimately saves them the cost of processing refunds and restocking goods.

Yet, despite consumer demand, less than one in five retailers (17 per cent) have started offering third-party collection services that allow shoppers to pick up purchases from other locations, such as local corner shops or lockers.

Kirsty Morris, Director, Barclaycard Payment Solutions, said: “Not only does Click & Collect offer merchants the opportunity to increase sales, our research shows it can improve the overall customer experience as a complement to online shopping, while reducing return volumes too.

“With the retail sector facing unprecedented challenges, investing in Click & Collect partnerships should be part of a long-term strategy for retailers to encourage shoppers into stores and respond to the changing shape of the nation’s high streets.”

Notes to editors

For more information, contact Julia Madden at Barclaycard on 0207 116 9559 or at julia.madden@barclaycard.co.uk

*Merchant research was conducted by Opinium surveying 250 UK retailers with 50+ employees and an online presence from 16th to 30th July 2019. Consumer research was conducted by OnePoll surveying 2,000 adults (18+) from 15th to 18th July 2019.

**Global Data research: www.globaldata.com/click-collect-in-the-uk-to-grow-to-10bn-by-2023-but-customer-satisfaction-lags-behind-home-delivery/

About Barclaycard

Barclaycard, part of Barclays Bank PLC, is a leading global payment business that helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and take payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit and point-of-sale finance. In 2018 we processed nearly £268bn in transactions globally. Barclaycard is a pioneer of new forms of payment and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting-edge forms of payment for the future. We also partner with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.

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