CONTACTLESS CLICK & COLLECT: How do you safely prioritize order fulfilment from stores?

Since 15 June, non-essential businesses have been able to reopen and customers have returned to stores by following social distancing rules and health guidelines. OneStock offers a range of solutions, adapted to this post COVID-19 context, that can be quickly deployed to boost sales, including in-store appointments, assisted remote shopping, and Ship from Store.  Here, we focus on a popular delivery method, Contactless Click & Collect.

Contactless Click & Collect: sell in-store stock first

During the COVID-19 crisis, there was a rapid rise in the demand for click and collect. Online purchases became accessible to everyone, and with them, contactless collection methods.

Contactless collection methods have a range of advantages:

• for the customer: the ability to pick up an order quickly (express, 24h, 48h, etc), at a specific time and in a specific place
• for the brand: the ability to prioritize order fulfilment from stores
• for the sales staff: the ability to safely respond to customers’ needs.

Contactless Click & Collect: safety for customers and sales staff

Customers favour Click & Collect as a delivery method, so it is essential to give them the option of picking up their items in this way.  The deployment of this omnichannel solution allows stores to adapt to the current standards of consumer behaviour.

However, in the present health context, the safety of customers and sales staff must be guaranteed. We have therefore introduced the concept of "contactless collection" which corresponds to the additional:

• protective measures: disinfection and cleaning, marked walking routes in the store, creation of a Click & Collect pick-up area
• hygiene measures: social distancing, wearing a mask, wearing gloves, etc.

Three key tips for setting up Contactless Click & Collect

Contactless Click & Collect will allow you to meet the expectations of your customers, who will choose this delivery method for several reasons: free delivery, fast delivery, the reduction in the associated carbon footprint, etc.  Below, are three tips to optimize the implementation of Contactless Click & Collect.

1.    Defining the pick-up method

The first step to consider when setting up Contactless Click & Collect takes place internally and it involves defining the methods for picking up items. Here are the main points to consider:

• Pick-up slots: in order to respect social distancing rules, it is possible to reduce the slot allocated to the pick-up of items: time slot, number of days, etc.
• In-store health measures: the creation of a Contactless Click & Collect pick-up area, assigning one or more sales assistants specifically to this area, cleaning of the pick-up area, etc.
• Safety instructions sent to customers: the compulsory wearing of masks, bringing identification, coming to the store only after receiving an SMS confirming that the item is available, etc.

2.    Keeping your customers informed

Whether you have already set up Click & Collect or not, you must tell your customers about the concept of "contactless collection". They will thus be informed about the measures taken by your brand and the expected behaviour when picking up items. To contact your customers, you can use several tools:

• Customer database: contact your most loyal customers by sending a newsletter dedicated to the launch of Contactless Click & Collect, and you can also send them a text.
• Website: share the information with all your potential customers directly on your website by using, for example, a pop-up, or highlighting this solution after a customer has validated their basket, etc.
• Social networks: share the news with a community that appreciates your brand through a post or dedicated stories, etc.

3.    Integrate Contactless Click & Collect into a global strategy of renewing your brand’s relationship with your customers

The main difficulty post lockdown is bringing customers back into store. After three months of web use, the pick-up of Contactless Click & Collect items is also an opportunity to make additional sales, as the customer may be attracted by other items that they see on arrival in the store. In order to safely reconnect with your customers, other scenarios are also available:

• In-store appointment: welcome clients to a Personal Stylist appointment. This is a personalized shopping experience that will allow your sales assistants to create a personal relationship with your customer, whilst acting as an ambassador for your brand.
• Assisted remote shopping: allow everyone to make purchases with the help of a video or telephone salesperson. Understanding a customer’s personal tastes will allow your sales staff to suggest items that would suit the customer.  Customers will then be assisted, step-by-step, from the creation of their basket to payment.

OneStock’s omnichannel experts will assist you with each step of setting up Contactless Click & Collect. Depending on your company’s level of digital maturity, this solution can be deployed in six weeks.