Sir: As click & collect use continues to grow (‘Click & collect use to double in three years,’ 12 April, p12), it is putting the power back into the hands of consumers - but are retailers adapting their supply chains accordingly? I’m not convinced they are.
Traditionally, the ease of online ordering has put huge pressures on an organisation’s supply chain, notably when it comes to deliveries.
It is not unfair to describe the delivery process as a logistical minefield. The proliferation of tablets and smartphones means the emphasis is placed on speed of service, as consumers require products to be sourced faster and delivered quicker.
Click & collect actually moves away from this, ultimately relieving the pressure on the supply chain process.
For retailers, click & collect removes the headaches traditionally associated with online deliveries, freeing them up to leverage physical assets and increase footfall. In doing so, customers can be drawn back to shops to collect orders, opening up the potential for spontaneous shopping.
With click & collect already being widely adopted by the big supermarkets, it’s vital they re-evaluate their existing supply chain processes to see where changes need to be made.
Nick Miller, head of FMCG, Crimson & Co
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