The pandemic shook up many consumer habits.
While many stores were closed, many shoppers turned to online shopping.
Delivery services were assured, so it was easy to get everything you needed without leaving home.
Local shops were the first to pay the price, and had to adapt quickly to the situation.
Local Click and Collect was the solution that quickly caught on.
Quick and easy to set up, it offers a number of advantages and is a great way to expand your business. 
What is “Click and Collect”?
Click and Collect involves placing an order online, on an e-commerce website or by telephone, and picking up the products in the store.
Unlike other sites, this requires product stock to be updated in real time.
Supermarkets have set up an equivalent Drive system, often with more resources.
The main difference is often that the order is delivered directly to the customer’s vehicle in the parking lot.
How does local Click and Collect work?
A paperless ordering process
Generally speaking, the retailer sets up a more or less complete e-commerce site.
He manages his inventory and receives orders directly.
Depending on the solutions implemented, the merchant may or may not accept online payment.
If this is not the case, payment will be made on the spot, at the time of collection in the store.
The customer places an order on the e-commerce site.
Once the order has been validated, the retailer is notified.
He can then prepare it so that it is available at the scheduled time.
This is usually a time slot rather than a precise hour.
This slot is often between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the size of the store and how busy it is.
All the customer has to do is go to the store or pick-up point and collect their order. 
Welcoming customers with a difference
What local Click and Collect customers want above all is to avoid waiting times.
To achieve this, it’s necessary to rethink the reception area and dedicate an area exclusively to the collection of Click and Collect orders.
The simplest solution is to place this area at the entrance to the store, to limit the flow of people.
The order collection area should be organized in such a way that products can be easily identified.
In this way, waiting times for customers arriving during the time slot reserved for them will be kept to a minimum.
Even if interaction with customers is reduced compared to a conventional store, it is important not to “automate” order collection.
Local Click and Collect is a different approach to commerce, somewhere between online and local.
It’s an opportunity to create a special bond with your customers and develop new relationships.
The benefits of local Click and Collect
If Click and Collect is seen above all as a way of maintaining your business when access to stores may be restricted, it has other advantages too.
- Improved visibility: you’re online 24 hours a day, so you can reach new customers in addition to your regulars.
- Improved margins: you can receive orders even outside business hours, and Click and Collect is less expensive than home delivery, since the customer travels to the store.
Orders are prepared in standard packaging, which is not possible with home delivery. - Removing the delivery cost barrier: the cost of delivery often prevents customers from finalizing their order.
This is no longer the case with click and collect.
Customers can take advantage of the journey they have to make to collect their order. - Loyal regulars: even if the store closes for part of the year, your loyal customers can continue to shop with you.
- Easy ROI calculation: costs linked to site hosting or order preparation can easily be included.
The disadvantages of local Click and Collect
Potentially more complicated inventory management
Implementing a Click and Collect solution can mean more work for the retailer.
They will need to pay particular attention to stock management.
If the store remains accessible in addition to Click and Collect, it will be necessary to manage the entry and exit of stock in the store and on the e-commerce site.
You need to be particularly careful, otherwise you’ll end up offering products on the site that are no longer available in-store.
Dealing with dissatisfied or unhappy customers can be time-consuming.
Different regulations
All Click and Collect purchases, whether placed online or over the phone, are subject to distance selling regulations.
As a result, the customer has a 14-day right of withdrawal, which will need to be managed. 
Set up local Click and Collect
There are several solutions available if you want to set up a Click and Collect system for your business.
Use an e-commerce platform
There are platforms that can offer you an e-commerce solution integrating Click and Collect functionalities.
The site can be customized, more or less easily, depending on the ergonomics and your knowledge.
In just a few clicks, you’ll have an operational Click and Collect site.
On the other hand, this simplicity comes at a price.
These platforms operate on a subscription basis.
You pay a monthly fee to use the Click and Collect solution.
The subscription price is sometimes quite high, so you need to be sure that you can cover the costs with the sales you generate.
It’s also not uncommon for the platform hosting the solution to take a commission on each sale.
It’s essential to take this into account, as this commission can range from 7% to 20%.
In the final analysis, this represents a considerable cost.
Finally, if you decide to stop your subscription, you lose your online store and your entire catalog.
If you want to start Click and Collect again at a later date, chances are you’ll have to start from scratch.
Create your own e-commerce site
The other solution is to create your own e-commerce store.
Of course, you’ll need to take out a subscription with a hosting company, but the cost is much lower than that of a platform (probably less than 100 euros a year).
For store creation, a free solution like Prestashop, for example, is perfectly suited to Click and Collect.
Setting up the store itself is fairly easy, provided you have some basic computer skills.
You’ll then need to customize it to your own colors, fill in your product catalog (which can be imported from an Excel file, for example), and configure payment methods if required.
Unlike a site hosted on a platform, you’ll have total control over your online store.
Even if you discontinue your subscription with the hosting provider, you’ll still be able to retrieve a backup of it and your catalog.
You can then easily put it back online, or change host.
You remain the owner of your site and its content. 
Personalized support
Setting up your own e-commerce store for local Click and Collect may seem complex.
If you don’t think you’ve got what it takes to get started, it’s best to call in a professional.
For less than the cost of a subscription to an e-commerce platform, you’ll have a fully operational site, customized to suit your image and needs.
You’ll also benefit from expert advice on setting up and managing your online store, as well as Click and Collect.
Don’t hesitate to contact me.
Together, we’ll study your Click and Collect project and find the solution that best suits your needs.
