In-Store Pickups of Online Orders Increase
Further testament to the growing bond between shopping channels, a recent study by the e-tailing group of 23 multichannel merchants who offer in-store pickup of orders placed online, shows a notable uptick in such activity.
For the study, the stores each were shopped twice. Below are the noteworthy findings in comparison to the same survey conducted a year ago.
* Same-day pickup was 73 percent this year compared to 56 percent last year.
* Multichannel merchants’ time allowed to pick up orders has been shortened; 67 percent allow up to eight days for pickup, compared with 57 percent last year; 22 percent allow up to 14 days for pickup vs. 43 percent last year.
* Merchants have more designated pickup counters (45 percent vs. 28 percent last year).
Customer Communication Ebbs
But as services at stores have improved to accommodate in-store pickups, communication to keep customers well-informed has weakened. Consider the following findings:
* Order process notifications that merchandise is ready to be picked up decreased to 52 percent, compared to 61 percent last year;
* Order process notifications that a product has been shipped to store fell to 23 percent, down from last year’s 36 percent;
* Phone notification that merchandise is ready for pickup was 21 percent, down from last year’s 28 percent; and
* Reminder pickup e-mails were sent to 4 percent of customers, less than the 11 percent that received them last year.
For more information, go to www.e-tailing.com .