Not having a dedicated area in-store for click & collect purchases (31%), long waiting times due to lack of in-store staff (31%) and staff being unable to locate items in-store or taking a long time to do so (24%) were cited as the primary reasons that potentially had a negative impact on customers’ shopping experience.

Overall, problems with online orders continued to impact retailers over the festive period, with 33% of online Christmas shoppers stating they had experienced issues with their purchases (an increase from 31% the previous year. Of those shoppers that had encountered any of the problems listed, 48% had suffered from late deliveries or never received their goods; a further 48% had suffered from missed deliveries, including when they were at home. Unsurprisingly, more than three-quarters (77%) of Brits online said they would be likely to switch to shopping with an alternative retailer next Christmas as a result of a poor online Christmas shopping experience.

"While online retail continues to see unprecedented growth in the UK, Christmas shoppers continued to be plagued with problems concerning their online orders. While issues with home deliveries are nothing new, more worrying for many retailers is that this Christmas exposed cracks in their click & collect operations," said Jason Shorrock, vice president of retail strategy at JDA. “Shoppers are showing a growing preference for click & collect as it offers them the convenience they crave and it is vital that retailers get it right. However, without the effective management of staff, stores and inventory, retailers risk damaging customer relationships. Ironically, at a time when the online channel continues to grow, the in-store experience is becoming ever more important. As the survey findings show, today’s online customer has no qualms about taking their business elsewhere if retailers don’t meet their expectations.”

Source: JDA