Click & Collect Solution for Small Businesses

The role of micro businesses in the Irish economy in terms of innovation, employment and growth should not be underestimated. In Ireland micro-businesses with 1-9 employees comprise over 90 per cent of all businesses. Research conducted by Cork University Business School demonstrates that ambition plays an important role in ensuring businesses achieve their full potential. The report suggests that micro-businesses in Ireland compare well internationally with respect to introducing new or improved products and services.

To compete with big online brands like Amazon and eBay, smaller retailers are building their own online shop fronts, looking for alternatives in product delivery and pickup solutions all while trying to cut costs.  It’s a big ask. How, then, can your small business compete with these online giants? The good news is you don't have to.

Agile structures and quick decision making are key advantages for many micro and small businesses. In fact, levels of innovation in Irish micro-businesses are higher than those in the UK and USA. This is particularly valuable when it’s time to get innovative to satisfy your customer needs. Chances are most of your customers are located within 10 kilometres of your small business. This means getting creative with click and collect solutions, while saving on delivery costs, has never made more sense.

Currently, many businesses are still relying on the major parcel couriers to make their deliveries, even though this is costly and does not give them as much control over that important final customer experience as they may like. However, the future for alternative solutions for click and collect looks bright. More and more local businesses just like you, are looking to intelligent, contactless parcel lockers to combat the costly last-mile – all while making it faster, safer and more accessible to the consumer.

Let your customers come to you

For the customer, driving to you may not be quite as convenient as home delivery, but studies have shown that offering customers choice can improve the overall customer experience. As well as putting a focus on building a top-notch e-commerce journey or creating a seamless social media transaction, providing a smooth click and collect experience with a clearly designated pickup location will demonstrate that your business is organised and efficient.

A digital locker system can have considerable benefits for your small businesses because it is a smart, contactless, secure and efficient way to offer collection services for your customers. It is convenient for your consumer who can pick up the goods in their own time and it helps your business to organise and store online orders. The best news is that this solution works for any size of business, whether you have an e-commerce website or not. It works particularly well for businesses working from their own home who would prefer to have customers pick up orders from a neutral location.

With smart parcel lockers, retailers have a unique opportunity to turn the current home delivery model on its head: promote free locker pickup and make it easy for customers to pick up their goods at a time that suits them. This significantly decreases shipping expenses and could possibly reduce packaging costs too - savings that could be reflected in prices.

A recent article from OOHPod states “retailers will increasingly rely on innovation to make shopping more of an experience whether that’s in person or online, while consumers will make their grocery retail choice based on convenience and other beneficial experiences brought about by innovation in this space.” In simple terms, many retailers are craving new ideas to help them stand out from the crowd. A locker subscription with OOHPod could be the answer they’ve been looking for.

If you’d like to find out more about using OOHPod lockers for your business contact us on any of our social platforms or through hello@oohpod.com about becoming an OOH Business. OOHPod, your out of home delivery station, coming soon.