Retailers predict Click & Collect surge over the Christmas trading period
New research is predicting that retailers will see year-on-year growth of 49% in Click & Collect orders over Christmas.
According to research commissioned by Barclays’ Retail & Wholesale banking sector team, the predicted spike is a result of retailers’ increasing optimism about Christmas trading. Some 70% said they are feeling more confident compared to last year when just 52% admitted to feeling optimistic about the trading period ahead.
Additional findings from Barclays’ Last Mile2 survey also reveal the rise in demand for Click & Collect is being met head on by retailers, with 43% investing in this type of delivery option. Some 84% of retailers said they believe Click & Collect has become a permanent fixture within the delivery market and 71% see it as critical to their business success. Meanwhile, 38% are expecting usage to soar more than any other delivery option over the next four years.
Deliveries direct to a consumer’s address are predicted to decrease from 72% to just over 64% of total physical deliveries over the next four years while Click & Collect volumes are anticipated to rise to just under 35% from 26%.
Richard Lowe, head of retail & wholesale at Barclays, said: “According to a recent report one in ten consumers fell victim to late deliveries last Christmas and it’s clear to see how Click & Collect offers a practical, alternative solution.
“Amazon has also recently partnered with Royal Mail, allowing shoppers to collect their parcels from their local Post Office, and I believe we will increasingly see this kind of tie-up.
“These developments can only be good news for consumers, offering them increasing levels of choice and the confidence that their gifts will make it under the Christmas tree in time.”
