The Foschini Group (TFG) has rolled out its Collect In Store service for online shoppers across the country, taking the number of participating stores to 184, and now offers the service entirely free, with no qualifying amount required.
Trialed in the Western Cape for six months, Collect In Store enables customers to shop full ranges across www.tfg.co.za, check-out in one bag and then choose to collect in-store from their nearest @home, Foschini, Markham, Sportscene or Totalsports store within an eight-day period.
Collect in Store provides access to online shopping to people who do not have a delivery address during office hours. They can buy fragrances from Foschini for Beauty online, but collect the item at a Totalsports store near their play of employment during their lunch hour or during their daily work commute.
“The democratisation of online shopping is paramount; by not limiting South Africans to one type of delivery method, we are providing access to people who can’t currently shop online,” says Robyn Cooke, head of TFG e-commerce.
Research conducted during the trial period also showed that between 15% and 20% of customers collecting in store went on to purchase other goods in the bricks stores, presenting an opportunity for sales people to up sell their goods to online shoppers.
“This demonstrates the value of embracing a truly omni-channel retail approach where online and bricks stores benefit mutually,” said Cooke.
Lars Veul, co-founder of delivery and logistics company Pargo says: “Click-and-collect is on the rise in South Africa as an increased amount of online shoppers prefer flexible delivery options. Click and collect gives the consumer the freedom to collect when it best suits them. The high demand and positive feedback from TFG customers for the Collect in Store service confirms this.”
Besides nullifying the need for a physical delivery address when shopping across TFG’s online stores, Collect In Store has many benefits including: the option to exchange an item immediately should the customer be dissatisfied, giving the shopper access to a broader range of goods online than in-stores, and the flexibility to collect goods ordered at a time and store that is convenient.
