4 advantages of Click and Collect in logistics operations

The importance of implementing sustainability in supply chain processes is often discussed from the point of view of the logistics and transportation industry. In this case, in terms of sustainability, users demand both commitment and convenience in the delivery of their orders. However, these desires are not compatible with a genuine commitment to the environment, at least not with the technology currently employed.

One of the rising trends in the retail sector is Click & Collect, an option that has gained prominence in recent years and offers several advantages for both the store and the consumer, including reducing carbon emissions.

If you want to know the advantages of Click and Collect in logistics operations, take a look!

Accorciare l'ultimo miglio

The last mile often has a number of challenges that have arisen in recent times, which are difficult to circumvent and employ good capillarity in delivery. For example, restrictions on the entry of large vehicles into urban centers and difficult access to certain addresses with very narrow streets along with the common challenge of facing the usual traffic congestion of large cities.

With Click & Collect , the final destination is shortened, being its ultimate transport objective that it arrives at the establishment meeting the established objectives. However, it still depends on the location of the premises, which will be easier if it is located in a shopping center on the outskirts with a good platform for unloading goods or just as difficult if it is in a pedestrian area in the heart of the city. Nevertheless, it is still a very economical option for both the logistics operator and the company.

Avoid missed deliveries

One of the biggest inconveniences faced by deliveries to the end customer is that they are not completed successfully. Among its main causes are the absence of the end customer at the home or office, generating more inconvenience for redelivery, which results in more reverse logistics costs. In addition, not all logistics operators can guarantee that the order will arrive in a very specific time slot requested by the customer.

El Click & Collect gives the guarantee of successful delivery of the package and the freedom to pick it up at the store or post office when the customer is available. This is as long as it does not exceed the order booking period (usually about 15 days) and within the business hours of that establishment. Although time restrictions can be eliminated with the option to store them in automatic lockers accessible 24 hours a day.

Improves stock control

It is known that it is crucial to maintain a rigorous inventory control in any company dedicated to offer physical products. This can be a very cumbersome task when the company itself has several warehouses or third parties offer storage systems for them, being very limited its management, especially in the second case.

If you have your own warehouse in the physical store, it is easier to prepare the order because it may already be present at the pick-up point. Or, if you don't, you can order the products themselves and replenish them, updating inventory levels. However, if there is replenishment of inventory from other physical stores, the challenge of maintaining good stock management will be even greater.

Assistance in product placement strategy

As mentioned above, there are certain stores that offer the ability to ship a product from a store out of reach of the customer to a store closer to the customer. While this may be a one-off situation, if it is repeated frequently, it may be an opportunity on the popularity of an item in a particular location.

This, without a doubt, can be very useful for professionals in charge of conducting market research to find the ideal customers for their products. By observing and analyzing their buying habits, they can establish new logistics strategies in which more inventory is collected for the most sought-after establishments, maintaining a good stock rotation and generating profits.

Conclusion

El Click & Collect not only offers advantages and opportunities in terms of business and customer satisfaction, but also facilitates various logistics operations that result in reduced costs and use of resources. And this is one of the main objectives when managing certain logistics processes such as transportation management with a TMS.

Hedyla has worked with customers from various verticals and we offer solutions tailored to a specific sector that requires a set of parameters and modules designed for them.