River Island, the high street fashion retailer, is pioneering a new instore collection service from Shutl, the platform that gives people control over their deliveries.
Click and Don’t Collect is the first service of its kind designed to solve the growing issue of non-collection of online orders instore, and improving delivery flexibility for customers who increasingly want more control over their orders.
River Island will be the first to launch this service nationally, giving shoppers who have selected ‘click and collect’ the option of changing to Shutl’s delivery service and getting their order delivered instead to their door within 90 minutes, or at a time convenient to them. The new service aims to firmly put the control of delivery in the hands of the customer, and helps retailers who may be suffering from the increasing issue of non-collection while also offering a better, more convenient customer experience.
Click and collect has shifted from being a competitive advantage to becoming a necessity for multi-channel retailers. Yet a report commissioned by Shutl in September, shows that after placing an order online, one fifth of UK shoppers requested a refund instead of collecting instore, leaving retailers with stock level issues. With the retail sector approaching its seasonal peak, click and collect is set to become even more challenging.
As ‘Click and Don’t Collect’ uses Shutl’s existing on demand delivery platform and nationwide network of carriers, the service can be operational within hours without any significant additional developments to a retailer’s online sales platform. A link from the collection notification email will take customers to a pre-populated form from which they can make the necessary arrangements.
River Island is already live with ‘Click and Don’t Collect’ and commenting on the service, Doug Gardner, CIO, River Island says: “We have a number of click and collect orders that customers have paid for and are subsequently unable to collect from store. The rigours of modern life mean that it is not always convenient for them to make the time to go and receive their goods, and, in order to avoid simply refunding the customer, we found the solution offered by Shutl a highly effective one in terms of customer convenience and saving sales.”
Tom Allason, CEO at Shutl adds: “Non-collection continues to be a headache for retailers. Not only does it result in lost sales, but there are practical implications too - for example, how to hold additional stock and where best to direct online customers from a store layout perspective. By giving customers control over the delivery of their click and collect purchases, we’re removing the barriers of instore collection and ensuring greater order fulfillment.”
Click and Don’t Collect is available nationwide and costs £4.95 per delivery.
Source: Shutl
