There was a significant rise in the percentage of Click and Collect e-tail sales in the third retail quarter of 2011. Accounting for 10.4 per cent of all e-tail sales in the period, this is up from 7.4 per cent in the previous quarter, making it the strongest quarterly gain in the seven quarters that IMRG and Capgemini have been tracking this data.

Fulfilment solutions such as Click and Collect provide consumers with greater convenience and choice when it comes to receiving their deliveries, and it is clear that they are looking to use them to full advantage in the run-up to Christmas. The percentage of e-retail sales via mobile devices also continues to rise impressively, reaching 3.9 per cent during the same period.

Over the past seven quarters the average percentage of mobile sales has recorded consistently strong growth. Between Q1 2010 and Q3 2011, the penetration rate of mobile sales (of the total e-retail sector) has grown 975 per cent.

David J Smith, chief marketing & communications officer at IMRG, comments: “Delivery is one of the most important elements that make up the online shopping journey, and inconvenience at that stage can turn a positive experience into a bad one. Retailers need to ensure that they track and monitor consumer behaviour to understand what options are proving most popular, to ensure that the experience is as convenient and seamless as possible.”

Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini, adds: “The fact that both click & collect sales and sales via mobile devices are up, shows that customers do want options when it comes to the online shopping experience. As we move into one of the busiest times of the year for e-retail, this is a great opportunity for retailers to stand out amongst their competitors and give customers an improved experience. However we are still seeing a high level of checkout and basket abandonment; an indication that there is still work to be done by retailers to convert this demand into sales.”

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