Remember the times when customers ordered products through TV commercials or catalogues they got in their mailbox? The TV ads, in particular, were quite difficult to resist, reiterating for minutes on end the uses and benefits of various unique products you couldn’t find in regular shops.

Whether or not you were a fan of those advertising strategies, they were the start of multichannel and omnichannel marketing. They were able to reach more customers and offer them additional ways to shop comfortably from their homes. While many consumers preferred traditional shopping, we can say that today, they tend to be multichannel or omnichannel customers — as we will explain in this article.

Among the various tools to deliver an omnichannel experience to customers, a click-and-collect delivery service (or BOPIS – buy online, pick up in-store) can be an effective way to meet their expectations.

If you want to know how click-and-collect can elevate your omnichannel marketing strategy, you have come to the right place!

Let’s start with the basics of an omnichannel vs. multichannel approach, then dig into the benefits that click-and-collect brings to the table.

If you use social media platforms and and e-commerce website to display and sell your products, you have a multichannel marketing approach and, possibly, an omnichannel one.

Below is a summary of the two strategies:

Omnichannel Vs. Multichannel Marketing

The main difference is that in an omnichannel marketing strategy, all the channels work together and are connected in the back end. As a result, it presents a unified and consistent image to improve customer experience.

We could say it’s an updated version of the multichannel one.

Click-and-collect can help you connect the dots in your marketing strategy and ensure a seamless shopping experience. Here’s why!

1. Click-and-Collect Responds to the Omnichannel Consumer

   You should no longer separate your customers into online customers and brick-and-mortar ones. That is because consumers, in general, need different shopping options in various circumstances.

   BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) can be the answer to streamline those options. The main benefit of click-and-collect, after all, is that it connects traditional retail with online shopping.

   Moreover, according to a study conducted by Mintel in the U.K. in 2020, 90 per cent of new click & collect consumers planned to continue using this free service after the pandemic subsided.

2. It Ensures Fast Delivery (Same-Day Delivery)

   Twenty years ago, when people were shopping from catalogues, they didn’t expect to receive the items the same day. But nowadays, 44 per cent of consumers want their purchases to arrive in two days or less, according to a 2019 survey from Statista.

   You can thank large retailers like Amazon for that. Due to them prioritising same-day delivery, customers expect this service from other companies as well.

   But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be Mission: Impossible. With click-and-collect delivery, it’s easy to send customers their products quickly — in most cases, it is just a matter of preparing the package and waiting for your client to arrive at the pickup location.

3. It Gives Customers the Option to Check the Items Before Purchasing Them

   Part of being an omnichannel consumer is valuing and enjoying convenience and transparency.

   First of all, omnichannel retail should provide customers with the ability to search for in-store products online and check the available stock. That way, they don’t waste time visiting a shop when their desired items are not there (yet).

   Second, thanks to click-and-collect delivery, they can check the products again when they go pick them up. For example, they can make sure a clothing item is the right size or doesn’t have any design flaws.

   These measures, while they may seem like a simple ‘side effect’ to click-and-collect, go a long way because they build customer trust and loyalty.

4. It’s Easy to Incentivise Customers

   With an omnichannel marketing strategy, you can create a loyalty programme across all your channels. For example, you can send your customers special offers through email after learning about their previous in-store purchases.

   How does click-and-collect come into play here? Well, one of the benefits of using this service is that it promotes last-minute shopping. Specifically, the next time your customer comes to pick up the item that they ordered online, they may be tempted to buy something else they need, especially since they saved money on shipping.

   Not to mention, this type of interaction creates a better connection between brand and consumer that online shopping alone can’t fulfil.

5. It Promotes Agility Across Your Business

   Agile businesses have always been the leaders of their industries. Adapting to your clients' needs is one way of showcasing this quality.

   Let’s say a customer buys a raincoat from your shop in Melbourne, while on a city break. When they get back home to Adelaide, they change their mind about their purchase or need a different fit for their raincoat. In an omnichannel setup, they would be able to return it easily to another one of your shops in Adelaide — as we have mentioned above, all the ‘channels’ are connected.

   But how do you respond to this customer’s predicament in practice? A possibility would be to let click-and-collect facilitate that process. Returns are straightforward and free of charge (compared to a courier service which would require a fee), with the client bringing the product to your shop or another designated location. From there, it's easy to offer a similar product or a coupon.

We talked about two important aspects that any retail business owner should consider in order to stay on top of their game:

• The benefits of transforming your marketing strategy from a multichannel into an omnichannel one;
• How click-and-collect is an inspired addition to your omnichannel marketing strategy.

Do you need help streamlining your omnichannel approach with a click-and-collect delivery service? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced team to see how Storeplay IQ can help improve your company’s operations!