River Island has introduced an innovative new ‘click and don‘t collect‘ service in partnership with Shutl, a fulfilment specialist owned by eBay.
The new service comes after research by Shutl and Retail Week revealed that 20% of shoppers who buy online will ask for a refund on their goods rather than collect in store.
‘Click and don‘t collect‘ will enable customers who are unable to collect their items to have them delivered within 90 minutes, or at a time of their choice, for the price of £4.95.
“We have a number of click and collect orders that customers have paid for and are subsequently unable to collect from store,” said River Island CIO Doug Gardner.
“The rigours of modern life mean that it is not always convenient for them to make the time to go and receive their goods, and, in order to avoid simply refunding the customer, we found the solution offered by Shutl highly effective in terms of customer convenience and saving sales.”
This new delivery option is the latest of many, as retailers attempt to offer the best services possible in order to compete with rivals, especially in the run-up to Black Friday.
“Non-collection continues to be a headache for retailers,” said Shutl Chief Executive Tom Allason. “Not only does it result in lost sales, but there are practical implications too – for example, how to hold additional stock and where best to direct online customers from a store layout perspective.
By giving customers control over the delivery of their click and collect purchases, we‘re removing the barriers of in-store collection and ensuring greater order fulfilment.”
