More than half of online shoppers want to have the option to collect internet orders in-store, new research suggests.
Postcode Anywhere canvassed 1,000 consumers on their online shopping preferences, and found that 52% thought having the choice of collecting their purchases directly from a shop was important (29.5%) or very important (22.5%)
Its sales and marketing director Phil Rothwell said: “Mixed-mode buying represents a fundamental shift in the way consumers shop. There is growing evidence that the most successful retailers will be the ones who embrace this move and increase the strength of their multichannel operations, enabling customers to shop at their convenience.”
He says reasons why customers prefer to visit a shop include the chance to see the goods before buying, getting them quicker, and the problem of missed deliveries – especially important around Christmas.
“This is good news for traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers, but many still need to develop stronger multichannel propositions if they want to keep up with the demands of both the modern consumer and their competitors,” said Rothwell. “And with online sales set to increase this Christmas, it’s never been more important to ensure their ecommerce sites are well placed to serve these needs.”
