To meet the needs of the “connected consumer”, retailers have to focus on bringing together the offline and online experiences through an omnichannel strategy. Heavy competition for the consumer market share makes it imperative for retailers to integrate digital strategies with their brick-and-mortar operations. Retail automation which has expanded across retail stores, for example scan and go and in warehouses. Automation holds the promise to help retailer’s advance efficiency in their operations while also improving the customer experience both online and in-store.
Click-and-collect is an approach that mixes the online and offline experience for consumers. This final-mile delivery method allows consumers to pick up goods faster and more conveniently offering an enhanced customer experience, while providing retailers a way to gain a competitive advantage. Jeff Sylvester, a senior analyst at Forsee, a company that studies customer experience, recently said, the click-and-collect method “brings together the benefits of the digital shopping experience...with the instant gratification of same-day store pickup and easy returns.”
Many retailers are turning to parcel locker solutions to manage how customers retrieve click-and-collect orders. Lockers appeal to the consumer as they are convenient, often cheaper than at home delivery and provide a method for managing returns. Gaven Rolfe, who writes about parcel lockers and provides insight into the process, says “Retail parcel lockers are different from the manual, low-tech residential parcel lockers you often see today. They are a convenient and easy click-and-collect delivery solution. As soon as an order is delivered and placed into a parcel locker, the customer receives a notification via email or SMS message with a one-time PIN code or QR code. The customer then goes to the parcel locker station and enters or scans the code. The parcel locker door opens, and the customer retrieves the order. This provides a complete chain of custody and added security for retailers.”
Grocery retailers are utilizing refrigerated locker solutions for click-and-collect, as it allows retailers to preserve refrigerated deliveries and customers to pick up fresh, temperature sensitive products at their convenience without the concern of items becoming spoiled. Other businesses, such as universities, multi-family communities and commercial offices, are also opting to use refrigerated parcel lockers. These lockers can be placed inside or outside of buildings where they are temperature controlled which can accept food, beverages, medicine and other items that require some level of refrigeration.
Giving customers what they want will require retailers to make changes to touchpoints across online digital channels, mobile and in-store. Click-and-collect lockers provide another level of convenience to a retailers eCommerce services and operations, while providing the customer an enhanced experience.
Now is the time to Invent the Future!
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Consumers are looking for a more convenient, secure and quick ways to shop and get their purchases home – whether it’s online, in-store or the combination in click-and-collect. Digital Lockers & Vending, by CompuCom®, is an innovative, sleek, and completely modular solution-as-a-service that is redefining the way to deliver a complete brand experience.