ParcelHero says retailers must scrap “penny pinching” click & collect fees to boost footfall

As John Lewis suspends its click & collect fees until 19 October, home delivery expert ParcelHero says retailers should abandon them permanently to drive footfall to stores and encourage add-on sales.

Describing charging for the service as “a false economy”, ParcelHero argues that axing click & collect charges “should be for life, not just for Christmas”, describing charging as “pure penny-pinching”.

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., said: “Retailers who continue to charge for pickups in their own stores are misguided. Our high streets need as much encouragement as possible, particularly now consumer confidence has slumped to a record low. Continuing to charge customers for the “privilege” of visiting stores to pick up an item they have already ordered seems at best arrogant, and at worst downright foolhardy.

“The John Lewis Partnership has partially seen the light by offering free click & collect to its department stores until 19 October, after which it will presumably revert to its usual charges (that fee is £2 for orders under £30).

“One must wonder why John Lewis feels the need to charge £2 to customers picking up an online order in person, when the opportunity for increased sales from customers visiting stores to pick up their goods is likely to encourage further purchases.

“At least John Lewis has dropped fees for now. Other stores are grimly sticking with them, often with quite complex fee structures. For example, shoppers with New Look are offered free next-day click & collect for orders over £34.99 or face a charge of £2.99. Alternatively, if they are prepared to wait for 3-5 days, they only have to pay £1.99 or nothing at all if they have spent over £19.99. That’s quite a smorgasbord of options.”

Jinks also refers to Next, which says that at times of peak trade it may charge 25p for its ‘next day to store’ service. He added: “That feels as if the fashion retailer is cutting off its nose to spite its face. Why risk annoying customers for such a small sum?”