While Amazon is busy trying to figure out how to get products to you as quickly as they can once you click the purchase button, the rest of the ecommerce world seems to be moving in the other direction. Some of the largest brick-and-mortar retail organizations have led the charge toward store pick-up options for online shoppers.
Macy’s, Best Buy, Target, and even Kroger now make it possible for customers to make purchases on an ecommerce site, complete the payment process, and then pick up the products in person at their nearest physical location. With ecommerce taking over the retail world, why would any company want to mix brick-and-mortar back in? Here are some pretty good reasons.
No Sticker Shock
We’ve covered abandoned carts several times. The number one reason for a customer abandoning their cart is the price of shipping. Once those buyers fill their carts and click through to finish the purchase, they see the final total with taxes and shipping, and they bail.
If you offer store pick-up as an option, that shipping cost goes away. Sure, you also take away the convenience of having the items delivered right to the buyer’s door, but some buyers won’t mind that. If they don’t have to wander the aisles in search of the items they need, they’ll still consider an online purchase with store pick-up a pretty great deal.
Quick Fix
When buyers can order items to pick up the store, they also have that added benefit of “right now.” Sure, they could check out Amazon’s Prime Now if they need something today, but those are some pretty slim pickings. For everything else they need, from groceries to a winter coat, they can find an ecommerce company that has a physical location, and buy to their hearts’ content.
Once the order is in stock, they can go pick it up right away. No waiting for UPS or the postal service to make the delivery. In most cases, buyers will get their purchases even sooner, and sooner is always better in the buying world.
Online Options
Yet another reason a consumer may consider buying online and picking up at the store is the very good chance that online options are greater. A store can only stock so much, but the possibilities are endless on an ecommerce site. There’s room for everything!
If your brick-and-mortar store can only provide half of the options in your physical location, then you’re going to disappoint about half of your customers. Give them the option to buy online and pick up at your store, and you stand the chance of making 100% of your buyers happy. At the very least, your sales will increase.
If you’re still relying on shipping to get your products in to customers’ hands, then it might be time to consider some new options. Yes, there are some drawbacks to the click-and-collect model, but the benefits just might outweigh the negatives.
