On-Demand delivery is quickly becoming the new norm across all sectors of the industry. In a world where a meal is a click away. We now expect things to be handled for us exactly when it works for us and retail is no exception. Along with exceptional customer service on-demand same-day delivery is one of the best ways to provide a superior experience. The on-demand delivery market (especially for CPG/FMCG) has seen some major growth in the last few years. Today almost all the key players are providing same day or express (2-3 hours) delivery as a check-out option. Leveraging this is going to be crucial for brands to gain a competitive edge. Same-day delivery across all categories will see major growth in the coming years.
In a world of omnichannel shopping the 'click and collect' model gives consumers the ability to research select order and pay for products online then pick them up in store. In today's digital world big box retailers have embraced the change of turning their national off-line stores into fulfilment canters. Almost all the major retailers in the U.S. now have a click & collect service where the customers don't even have to get out of their cars once they make a delivery appointment online or via their apps.
Having the option to order online and collect in-store is a key mechanic for keeping consumers on the path to purchase. Researchers found that17% of shoppers said they would abandon a purchase if click and collect were not available from a retailer and a further 28% said they would look to buy the same product from another brand or retailer that did offer this delivery option.
We're saving customers time by leveraging new technology. Connecting all the parts of our business into a single seamless shopping experience. Great stores easy pickup fast delivery and apps and websites that are simple to use Walmart U.S. President and CEO Greg Foran.
As retailers look to the future of their eCommerce strategies the importance of establishing and optimizing click and collect runs far deeper than the immediate benefits of reducing costs and increasing revenue.
It's important to start investing in having your product available in stores at locations where key retailers have started offering an online click & collect. By communicating to your consumers across all channels (website ads social campaigns etc) that this option is available is key to closing the loop in connecting the online and offline. Take this example:
Offering a dynamic Local 'Where To Buy' vs the traditional "Find us" maps or stockists on the websites is becoming a popular trend amongst major brands. Having an offline locator on your campaigns can help connect the dots for your online vs in-store products. Consumers can now see which retailers stock the specific product they want and how close the store is.
Currently in the eCommerce world of delivery there are two main distributor options: pure-play (i.e. Amazon Prime) and final-mile delivery (i.e. Instacart & Shipt). Meanwhile a physical retail footprint is required to make click and collect work which is one of the main reasons why Amazon purchased Whole Foods last year. As a result of this acquisition many grocers have partnered with delivery service providers like Instacart and Shipt to expand their e-commerce presence and make their online operations more profitable. Even Walmart recently started to partner with Postmates for the final-mile delivery. A partnership with these distributors will help brands understand the trends and insights for the local demand for their SKU's. Here's an example of how Kellogg's is using the pure-play option to catering for their omnichannel shopper by providing 'Where to Buy' options across their branded content and sites.
