Bicycle & car parts retailer Halfords has improved its reserve & collect online service to allow for next-day pick-up at any of its stores, it has been announced.
Customers ordering goods from the retailer‘s website before 6:00 pm will now have the option of having bought items delivered to their nearest store the very next day, even if that particular outlet does not normally stock those products.
The vast majority of Halfords‘ online range will be will be included in the offer, excluding a small number of bulky items which are not suitable for postal delivery, though some items which need assembling in store may not be ready for collection before lunchtime the next day.
David Wild, CEO of Halfords, said: “Customers want a faster delivery of items purchased online and a wider choice.
“This significant improvement ensures Halfords can provide that guarantee. It improves service for our customers and widens the range of products available in our smaller stores.”
Halfords customers already have the ability to collect products ordered online within one hour of purchase if their local store stocks those items, and this new service further strengthen an increasingly important channel for the firm.
Of all the goods now purchased on the Halfords website 87 per cent are collected in-store, and Halfords supplements its reserve & collect offer with a free fitting & advice service.
Wild added: “Most of our products lend themselves to further advice and service. The help our expert colleagues provide gives us a distinct advantage over internet pure plays as we can differentiate our business through the extra service we offer.
“This change cements Halfords place at the forefront of the online retail movement.”
Halfords has been hit by the drop in consumer spending on non-essential items, with the firm reporting a quarterly like-for-like sales decline of 4.8 per cent in January, but is trying to combat sluggish trading with new initiatives and increased marketing.
