What good is clicking if nobody is collecting?

What good is clicking if nobody is collecting?

2 minute read

Mar 18, 2016

The ‘Click-and-Collect’ phenomenon shows no sign of abating. With our busy lifestyles no longer aligning with shop browsing hours, Click-and-Collect allows consumers to shop in a way and at a time that suits them.

According to the latest research for EPOS experts Cybertill (a VoodooSMS user) 72% of UK shoppers already use Click-and-Collect services, with half of respondents saying they use this service more now than they did a year ago.

In fact, a report by OC&C Strategy Consultants suggests 40% of all non-food sales in Britain will be made online by 2025. With Click-and-collect sales expected to double over the next ten years, the quality of this service will determine which retail businesses thrive and which fail.

The benefits to retailers of offering this service are enormous; not only does it drastically reduce front of house staffing costs, but 65% of consumers make additional in-store purchases when calling in to collect their reserved item.

However, offering Click-and-Collect is a double-edged sword. Non pick-up of reserved goods causes huge problems in maintaining optimal stock levels. Similarly, the process can be frustrating for the customer.  A third said they had experienced sizeable queues at collection points, and a further 32% suffered significant waits while shop staff tried to locate their order in the stockroom.

The solution to these problems? SMS.

A text message can act as a nudge to let the consumer know their reserved goods are still waiting. And a handy texted reference number cuts down on lengthy queues:  a text is always on hand; no scrabbling to find emails. Plus, SMS can be used even earlier in the customer journey – did you know you can send a text to remind your customer about their abandoned cart/basket?

The advantage of SMS over email for any savvy retailer is obvious:

  • 91% of adults keep their smartphones within arm’s reach
  • 97% of people open a text within 4 minutes of receiving it
  • 19% of people will click the URL in an SMS, compared to just 4.2% for emails
  • 57% of consumers would consider opting into a brand’s SMS loyalty programme
  • 30% is the average response rate from SMS campaigns. Email campaigns? Just 4%

Ready to transform your customer experience for the better? Want people to click AND collect? Then talk to VoodooSMS today on 0800 971 7111

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