Impact of covid on the future of click & collect shopping and benefits of shopping online during covid
Buying online and picking up a store, otherwise known as Click & Collect, allows most goods to be purchased this way, whether it concerns food products, books, DIY equipment, clothing. Click & Collect has grown steadily over the past few years but has exploded in recent months with COVID-19 and in-store purchasing restrictions, affecting all businesses, including those selling basic necessities, than the others.
Before the impact of COVID-19 on buying and selling habits, nearly 70% of US consumers used Click & Collect, and around 90% of traditional merchants are expected to offer Click & Collect by 2021. However, this percentage is subject to change as traders and consumers adjust to these particular circumstances.
Through this article, learn about the advantages of Click & Collect and the impact of COVID-19 on the system, and the future repercussions for merchants and consumers.
ADVANTAGES OF CLICK AND COLLECT SHOPPING DURING COVID
Contamination free ease and efficient shopping
Online shopping allows ease, and efficient shopping using your device reduces the risk of contamination caused by physical contact that occurs higher in the case of physical stores
Ease is probably the number one reason consumers choose to shop online and pick up their order in-store and thus reduce the risk of infection. They can shop easily and efficiently via their phone, computer, or another device, without having to wander the shelves of a store.
Quick and efficient shopping
While shopping through physical stores requires not only time but also increases the risk of infection. Online shopping is most often a quick and efficient transaction. In-store shopping has become a real experience – and many customers still prefer in-store purchases to virtual purchases. If a store runs out of on-shelf inventory to favor its customers online, shoppers browsing the aisles are likely to find limited product selection and apparent outages. At the same time, it also reduces the probability of getting infected.
Improved Customer Experience
Merchants are looking to provide a great customer experience, whether they have been offering Click & Collect services for years or only recently due to the circumstances. Consumers not only want a great product, but they also want an enjoyable experience from processing their order to paying. COVID-19 has forced many staple merchants to reserve parts of their store or parking lot for online order collection due to the increase in such drive-through sales.
Merchants also need to consider how quickly purchases (online or in-store) impact product availability. With such demand for essentials during COVID-19, merchants are unable to stock certain products and must consider how to update the availability of items online when they are purchased by another customer in the store.
HOW WILL COVID-19 AFFECT THE FUTURE OF CLICK & COLLECT?
Here are some questions that are important to consider about the repercussions of COVID-19 on the future of the Click & Collect concept:
Will online purchases of essential items continue to grow?
Consumers are eager to buy basic necessities such as groceries, shampoo, and toilet paper online. What once required a trip to the store is likely to change as consumers have changed their spending habits.
Will consumers buy from new merchants?
Customers were able to discover a new store through a positive shopping experience and good customer service, which may not have happened if it hadn’t been for COVID-19. Conversely, consumers have been able to flee the merchants and brands with whom they have had a bad or even catastrophic Click & Collect experience.
Will merchants see increased sales of their private label products?
During COVID-19, consumers displayed panicked buying behaviors and bought everything they needed … or not, regardless of the brand. The drop in attendance due to the crisis has led to a drop in volumes and a price war, which continues today (-0.3% over 12 months ). Insofar as attendance, even after the end of confinement, is still sluggish, it is a safe bet that this trend will continue in the coming months.
How will stores continue to adapt to Click & Collect?
As online shopping has grown in popularity in recent months, some retailers are choosing to invest further to improve the in-store experience. For example, William Sonoma offers cooking demonstrations, some sporting goods merchants have indoor climbing walls, and Nike’s New York headquarters has an indoor basketball court.
How does the current Click & Collect system work? What is not working?
COVID-19 has certainly revealed a lot of inefficiencies with this concept as merchants try to meet demand and shift to an in-store collection. Many companies are taking a close look at what worked and what didn’t and how future improvements could help make the process smoother.