unnamedBI Intelligence
Retailers in the US are increasingly offering in-store pickup options, but shoppers are finding the service lagging.
Of the 35% of consumers who buy online and pick up in-store, half of them have encountered problems while collecting their orders, according to a survey from JDA Software Group Inc.
And for a service meant to provide convenience to consumers, this is an alarmingly high rate of contention.
The biggest advantage that brick-and-mortar retailers have over e-commerce is the value of in-store assistance. It is likely that many consumers utilize in-store pickup services in order to retain this value, expecting store associates to know about product value, quality, and reliability. However, merchants may not be taking this into account and allocating the correct resources needed to smoothly complete the process.
More retailers are implementing this service to reach customers with various needs — 27% of retailers across North America already use in-store pickup, and 39% plan to implement it within the next two years, according to a recent survey conducted by Boston Retail Partners.