Click&collect delivery essential to the development of European retailers' services

In a statement released on 11 January, the JDA announced that "33% of people were affected by shopping problems in the run-up to Christmas - a 31% increase on last year. Of these, a staggering 48% complained about delays in deliveries or not receiving their goods at all, and a further 48% of consumers complained about failed delivery attempts, despite being at home. In the face of such inconvenience, it is not surprising that more than three quarters (77%) of British online shoppers said they would not rule out using a competitor next year as a result of problematic delivery."

According to the research - despite the problems faced - there is an increasing number of internet users (41%) who choose to use click&collect over the festive period (last year it was only 39%). What's more, almost a quarter (24%) of all respondents who chose this delivery option last Christmas said they would definitely use it next year as well. Some 56% of click&collect users choose this method to avoid delivery costs, while 49% find it more convenient than home delivery.

The growing popularity of click&collect is also confirmed by a new report from retail market analysis agency Visual Thinking, which found that up to 89% of mothers in the UK buying Christmas gifts online had used click&collect. Almost a third of respondents chose this delivery method for 25% of their purchases, up from 14% in 2014.

However, the use of click&collect services is not only increasing at Christmas. Forrester presented data showing that more than half of consumers across Europe regularly use this delivery option for online orders, with 15 per cent choosing it 'most of the time' or 'always'.

The Forrester study also shows that customers have increasing expectations of click&collect. As many as 59% of Europeans expect their online order to be ready for collection in-store within an hour. However, most retailers in Europe still struggle to implement a same-day delivery service.