Consumers are clamouring for the same levels of convenience in the high street and the good news is that we're about to see a flurry of fast and flexible solutions to bridge the gap between online and physical shopping.
Better connectivity is allowing us to browse and buy while on board planes,trains and automobiles,nurturing our need to buy on impulse.Rather than wait for delivery,a series of initiatives will allow us to access-or try out-our purchases within the hour or on our way home,Click-and-collect (C&C) services are about to become far more sophisticated:for example,Amazon's collection lockers across London Underground railway stations,Doddle opening pop-up parcel collection stores across 13 UK railway stations,Waitrose's chilled food lockers, the spread of Asda and Tesco's C&C vans and Drive Thru C&C points and eBay Now's expansion across 25 US cities and its extension of a partnership with Argos in the UK that will allow customers to pick up goods at 650 stores, from some 80,000 sellers by the close of the year.C&C services are also being extended to remove the major obstacles facing online retailing - namely not being at home to receive non-food items, and in fashion,not being able to try things on.ASOS has already trialled changing room pods opening for business between 6-9pm and with the success of the C&C changing room hubs at Westfield London, we can expect this concept to be expended across the Uk.
In2015,we expect John Lewis to build upon its 'testbed' click and commute store in St Pancras Station,London,and fashion retailers to take inspiration from initiatives like the 'Room Shopping ' service at Amsterdam 's Dylan Hotel where garments from the nearby 9 Straatjes fashion district are delivered to try on-and then purchases or return -within the hour.