German electronics giant Ceconomy saw 46% of customers click and collect orders from stores rather than have them delivered in the third quarter of the year.
This figure rose from 40% in the equivalent period last year. Ceconomy owns the brands MediaMarkt and Saturn, which operate a growing network of over 1000 physical stores, although it is reducing average store sizes.
The company saw growth in its online sales slow slightly, rising 1.7% to €594 million. Ceconomy blamed this on strong smartphone sales the previous year and a reduction in free shipping offers.
Online now makes up 13% of total sales, up from 12.7% the previous year.
Meanwhile, its services and solutions arm, which offers auxiliary services related to its products, fell 8.4% to €338 million. Again, Ceconomy attributed this to mobile sales the previous year.
Ceconomy claimed customers were endorsing its “hybrid status”, which combines the physical presence of stores with the convenience of ecommerce. The company said it had completed its integration of its different channels, the first stage of its digital growth strategy.
The company now plans to use data analytics to refocus marketing investments. It will also focus on optimising user experience and the customer journey, while cross-selling its online services.
