The growing popularity of click-and-collect is highlighted in a new survey, which shows that 45% of consumers now say they have used it in the past year for their online purchases.
In the research, by retail communication specialist Quail Digital, 77% of respondents said that click and collect is often more convenient for them than home delivery, while 46% prefer to use a click and collect service because there are no delivery charges.

The main reasons people like click-and-collect are the convenience of being able to collect items at a time of their choosing, being able to avoid queues, knowing the product is in stock and not having to stay at home and wait for a delivery.

Over half of those questioned also said they were more likely to use more click-and-collect services now than they were a year ago.

The most popular product category for those using click-and-collect is electrical goods, following by certain homewares, clothing and food.

Said Quail Digital ceo Tom Downes: "It's clear from this year's survey that click-and-collect is growing fast in certain categories, and shows that execution is key. 77% of customers use it because it's perceived as convenient. Once they've arrived, customers want to collect and leave reasonably quickly.

"Retailers need to think about how they capture and expedite orders efficiently using excellent communication at their collection points to ensure the customer experience is a positive one that they want to repeat."