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T
S
In-Store Pickup Improves
hoppers who order online for in-store
71 percent of retailers sent emails notifying
CURREN
pickup are more likely to fi nd the item
consumers that their products were ready for
Sready and waiting when they arrive
pickup, up from 54 percent a year ago. How-
at the store this year, according to a mystery
ever, few of the emails sent after the order
shopper survey conducted by The E-tailing
was placed included important information,
Group, a consulting fi rm that specializes in
such as store location, contact info and store
eCommerce. But retailers could do a bet-
hours. “The customer should have all the in-
ter job of communicating important informa-
formation they need on one piece of paper,”
tion to online shoppers picking up merchan-
Freedman advised.
dise in-stores, said E-tailing Group president,
In the stores, there is considerable varia-
Lauren Freedman.
tion on how much guidance consumers get
The E-Tailing Group’s mystery shoppers
about where to pickup goods, sometimes
waited on average 2.58 minutes to pickup
within a single retail chain. Freedman re-
items this year, compared with 3.21 min-
called visiting three Walmart stores, one with
utes a year ago, and 3.64 minutes in 2006,
few signs about in-store pickup, another with
according to the report, titled, “Cross-
pickup in the jewelry department and a third
Channel Research & Shopping: Winning
with signs throughout the store.
Tactics and Treatments.” Products were
The survey covered 24 multichannel mer-
ready and waiting, rather than having store
chants in the Chicago area that offer store
employees pull them from shelves, 94 per-
pickup of online orders, and placed and
cent of the time this year, compared with
picked up orders from two stores in each
83 percent last year.
chain. The fi rm surveyed 23 retailers last
As in the previous two surveys, employ-
year, suggesting a slow adoption rate for in-
ees were knowledgeable and able to fi nd the
store pickup programs. Among the factors
merchandise quickly, more than 80 percent
holding back such programs are the chal-
of the time. In general, Freedman said, the
lenges of integrating inventory and web sys-
consumer experience was good.
tems, and the fact that some stores lack the
While there are signs of improvement, re-
space to store products being held for cus-
tailers could still do a better job of inform-
tomers, Freedman said.
ing consumers about the in-store pickup op-
“Continuing to get people into stores is
tion on their websites, and providing impor-
going to be a bigger challenge, especially
tant information on how to pickup goods, ac-
with the price of gas,” she said. “Anything
cording to Freedman. She said most retail-
a merchant can do to ensure in-store traf-
ers publicize the in-store pickup option on
fi c is critical. The bonus of customers see-
home pages. Half are putting this informa-
ing your assortment and purchasing incre-
tion on product detail pages this year, com-
mental merchandise is a fringe benefi t of
pared with just 27 percent in 2007. This year,
any merchant’s investment.” world
Find this story in our complete article archive at:
www.wholesalecentral.com/Wholesale-News
16 December 2008
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