Blackfriar: Clicks and bricks working together is the way forward

Why would Argos start handling goods from its online nemesis? Surely it would mean Argos losing customers to its more sophisticated online rival?

Yet it’s a canny move. Shoppers who use eBay tend to be technically sophisticated and of a higher ABC1 bracket than Argos’s.

Having sworn to never go near Argos ever again following a calamitous shopping trip in Christmas 2010 (think getting queue jumped by thugs and ignored by staff), Blackfriar was coaxed back in last week and was amazed at the improvement in customer service and efficiency.

There must be thousands of other eBay customers who have the same prejudices and one of the easiest ways to overcome them will be to get them into an Agos store so they can see the changes for themselves.

Devin Wenig, president of eBay, says: “The distinction between offline and online shopping continues to blur. Traditional retail isn’t going away, it is transforming. Smart retailers are innovating, re-imagining the store and what it means to shop.”

Leeds-based Asda is looking at new ways to develop its Click & Collect service. Shoppers will be able to pick up their shopping from 250 Click & Collect points by the end of the year.

Karen Hubbard, Asda’s executive director property and multichannel, believes collection will be as big as delivery.

“Customers don’t want to wait at home for delivery. You can pick up your shopping at a location that suits you – you can pick it up on your way home. Someone does your shopping for you and puts it in the boot of your car and it’s free. That’s pretty convenient,” she says.

At a time when there has been much discussion – from Mary Portas, Queen of Shops, to veteran retailer Bill Grimsey – about how to save the high street from a slow and painful death, these initiatives could be a life saver.

Gerald Jennings, portfolio director for Land Securities, which owns and manages Trinity Leeds and the city’s White Rose Shopping centre, says that retailers at both centres are benefiting from the use of click and collect as a means of maintaining footfall from those customers who buy online.

“This is one example of how retail continues to innovate, recognising the need to respond to changing customer requirements and behaviour,” he says.

Dan Wagner, CEO of Powa Technologies, says the Argos/eBay deal will offer convenience to the online shopper but also means they will return to the high street to collect their purchases, giving retailers an opportunity to sell to them. “Partnerships such as this reflect the need that shoppers have long been crying out for,” he says.

But he warns that the deal will not be a silver bullet that will cure the ills of town centre shopping overnight.

So what’s going to be the next revolution following the increasing uptake of Click & Collect?

Dan Wagner believes the high street needs to personalise the shopping experience with bespoke recommendations for shoppers that mimic online stores.

The £350m Trinity Leeds scheme offers customers a mobile app, free wi-fi internet connection for mobile devices, personalised communication with shoppers and assistants on hand with internet-connected iPads to help customers get the most from their visit.

The centre has installed a system that ensures customers only receive content and offers that are relevant to them.

The man in charge of digital, Sean Curtis, says: “Some shopping centres try to get a very large database, but they don’t understand who their customer is and what their preferences are. We only send you information based on your preferences.

“If you send customers information that’s irrelevant they will switch off and unsubscribe.”

When visitors arrive at Trinity Leeds they are able to map where there are and how to get to the store they want to visit.

“You’ll be able to personalise the app to suit your needs. You can put the retailers you’re most interested in first,” says Mr Curtis.

A Google search allows shoppers to search for any item, say an LBD (little black dress), and will inform them which retailers have LBDs in their size.

“It’s all about personalisation – how to help retailers succeed, “ says Mr Curtis.

Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the high street, there is still enormous demand for physical stores.

Nine out of 10 purchases are made offline and four out of ten consumers prefer to research online and purchase offline.

Shoppers will want to go to stores that embrace the digital landscape and offer them an experience they can’t get online.

Clicks and bricks can live in harmony, but retailers that stick to traditional methods won’t survive.