The convenience factor, surrounding click and collect retailing, has seen the service grow to such an extent that it may be worth as much as £4 billion by 2018.

As the antidote to the hustle and bustle of high street, consumers are fast adopting the handy method of shopping that enables them to buy online and collect from a store or secure location nearby. Growth for this service is a no brainer with 27% of the 10,000 online consumers surveyed by Verdict expecting to increase their use of click and collect even further. The number of users of the service is expected to grow by two thirds in the next six years; it will account for about 8% of online sales and 1.2% of total retail sales in 2018.

Verdict analyst Matthew Rubin said: “This represents both an opportunity and a warning for retailers. With so many potential new users, retailers must invest in having adequate space, stock maintenance, and logistics to cope with the pressure.”

Rubin continues: “Home delivery companies and purely online retailers are monitoring the development of click and collect and are reacting accordingly. They are looking to offer collection points at convenience stores and lockers, same day delivery, narrower delivery time slots, and improved tracking and updates of estimated delivery times.”

In contrast to the findings, The Garden Centre Group has reported varying results and benefits from its own Click and Collect operation as it goes into its third year since the launch in Dec 2011.  By marrying the benefits of the web with the best aspects of traditional retail, The Garden Centre Group envisions Click and Collect as a potential way for its customers to test their products online and get market feedback and in a low cost, low pain way, which it is keen to explore. It was also noted as a perfect channel to recruit new customers, particularly the younger generation, although interesting the majority of bedding plant purchases through its click and collect service are made by men.

This is in contrast to Verdict’s research that reported the typical user of click and collect is “older well-off females” with females making up 54%.  Overall the fashion and footwear sectors dominate the click and collect service, with 46.5% of users buying products in these areas.

Enjoyment and convenience are also attributing to the growth of E-retailing in general. Figures are set to grow by almost 50% over the next five years equalling a reported worth of over £50bn in 2018. Verdicts research suggests that one pound in every seven spent on retail will be made online.

Source: www.verdictretail.com