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What is click and collect, and how do you get started?

With click and collect your customer orders online and picks up the order in your store whenever it suits them. Get it right and you combine the speed and convenience of a webshop with the personal service of a store visit. A pure online store can't match that.

In short

Pickup point: the customer only chooses to collect the order at checkout.
Click and collect: the customer already sees on the product when and in which store it is available.
Real time inventory: your online range matches what is actually in your stores.
Return in store: bringing wrong purchases back to your store, also for orders delivered by post.

Step 1: a webshop that shows availability

Many webshops let customers choose at checkout to collect their purchases themselves. A well thought out click and collect goes further: the customer immediately sees for each product when and where it is available. If it is in a nearby store, show it. If it has to come from another store or your warehouse, state clearly when it will be ready. Let the customer choose a time slot, so they know exactly when they can come by.

The condition is that your online range matches the inventory in your stores. You don't want a customer coming by for a product whose last item was just sold. With an online POS system every item that goes over the counter disappears from your webshop immediately, and your staff see every online order that has to be picked from the shelves. Also record in which store the customer collects: on a next order you suggest their preferred store automatically.

Marleen Bijnens & Nath Slangen, HEEM · Read the case

Step 2: clear communication between ordering and pickup

An online order still has to be processed by your staff. So let the customer know they can only collect after a confirmation by email or text message. If the last item did just go out the door, let them know before they are standing in your store, and say when it will be back in. Put all practical details in the pickup confirmation: the address, the opening hours and how pickup works, for example at a separate counter or with an order code.

	Pickup point	Click and collect on separate systems	Click and collect on one system
Availability	only visible at checkout	updated per sync	on every product, per store
Inventory	separate per channel	kept up by synchronization	one balance, in real time
New order	via a separate email or back office	in a separate system next to the POS	straight on the POS screen
Confirmation to the customer	manually	manually or via an integration	in one click, by email or text
Preferred store	not saved	a separate customer file per system	saved in the customer profile

Step 4 is the return. Let customers bring wrong purchases back to your store, including orders delivered by post or courier. That saves them repacking and shipping, and you can ask why the product didn't work out. That gives feedback for your product information, and often your salesperson can suggest an alternative right away. Then the sale still goes through.

Read how your webshop and POS work together

Step 3: service at pickup

You know your customer is coming. Make it a moment.

See pickup as part of your marketing. Do you focus on speed, or do you seize the chance for a personal approach and an extra purchase? If you leave the order unwrapped, the customer sees what they are buying, and your salesperson can suggest another size or colour right away. That way you avoid disappointment and returns.

Extra sales

Your staff explain, suggest accessories and show promotions while the purchase is being prepared. POS

Quick pickup

Customers in a hurry choose express service online, possibly with gift wrapping. Then you pack the order in advance. Webshop

A prepared team

Clear agreements on storing online orders, signs to the pickup counter and customer information at hand. Customers & loyalty

Jan Van Hoof & Patrick Lathouwers, MOOSE in the CITY · Read the case

What you need for click and collect

A POS systemThat shows internet orders on the screen right away, and lets your staff tell the customer in one click that their order is ready. → POS
A webshopThat shows per product in which store it is and when the customer can collect it. → Webshop
Real-time inventoryOne inventory level across all your stores and your webshop, so the customer never comes by for nothing. → Inventory
Customer data and loyaltyOne customer profile with their preferred store, and returns you accept in every store. → Customers & loyalty
IntegrationsMore than 40 integrations with payment providers, accounting, shipping and marketing, and an open API. → All features

Frequently asked questions about click and collect

How does click and collect work?

The customer chooses products online, places the order via the webshop and chooses the store where they want to collect it. As soon as the order is ready, they get a confirmation by email or text message. Then they collect it whenever it suits them.

Does the customer pay shipping costs with click and collect?

No. Collecting in store is free for the customer, there are no shipping costs.

How does the customer know when they can collect?

They get an email or text message as soon as the order is ready in the chosen store. It includes the address, the opening hours and any pickup instructions.

What does the customer need to collect?

Their order number or the confirmation email. Sometimes the store also asks for ID or proof of payment.

Can someone else collect the order?

Yes, if that person brings the order number and possibly a copy of the confirmation email.

How long does an order stay in the store?

Most stores hold an order for a few days up to a week. The period is stated in the confirmation email or on the webshop's order page.

What if a product turns out to be out of stock after all?

Then the store contacts the customer. They choose an alternative, a later pickup or a refund.