With millions of UK consumers flocking online to purchase gifts this Christmas time, online retailers have been able to tap into a new service that allows their customers to collect their orders from local convenience stores and petrol stations.
No longer the preserve of the giant online stores such as Amazon and eBay, now thanks to companies like InPost retailers can tap into the growing network of locations where parcels can be delivered, stored and collected at convenient time. Many of the lockers are in locations that can be accessed 24/7, providing the ultimate in convenience and serving to drive even more shoppers online this year.
Companies like InPost provide the full end to end service and include full delivery tracking information so you can ensure your order has arrived before you go to collect it. For retailers operating websites it is possible to connect to an API that allows the communication between the website and the courier service to be seamless.
The advantage to retailers is clear, by providing greater flexibility during the order, delivery process customers are able to place orders with a greater level of confidence, particularly when orders have to arrive before a certain date. Retailers can advertise the Click and Collect feature on their sites which is still a fairly unique offering and one that can lead to advantage during the busy Christmas shopping period.