Mirakl, a leading global online marketplace platform provider, has announced the release of a new feature in its Mirakl Marketplace solution. The latest feature, ‘Click & Collect,’ is now available to all third-party sellers operating on marketplaces run by brick and mortar retailers using the Mirakl Marketplace solution.
With this development, Mirakl is creating a standard omni-channel format for all brick and mortar brands, and is breaking down the barriers between marketplaces and traditional e-commerce.
Ordering something online and then picking it up in retail stores or other locations is incredibly popular in the United Kingdom. Almost 3 in 4 online shoppers (73%) say they have used click-and-collect / reserve & collect services. The development of online channels is profoundly transforming the world of retail, and this growth is largely driven by the emergence of ‘Click & Collect’.
Mirakl is now integrating ‘Click & Collect’ into its Mirakl Marketplace solution allowing Marketplace sellers to offer customers a new delivery option. In addition to the home delivery option, shoppers can now collect and pay for the product they have ordered in one of the operator’s stores. Retailers can therefore satisfy increasingly demanding customers, who expect more freedom and convenience from their online experience and whose buying behaviour is omni-channel.
“E-commerce now plays a key role for distributors, retail chains and brands that must be able to satisfy increasingly complex demands to meet customer expectations,” said Philippe Corrot, CEO and co-founder, Mirakl. “What customers really expect is to find the product they want, get it at the best price, receive an excellent quality of service and to collect and pay for the product at their chosen location. Retail chains also have the opportunity to draw customers into their stores to buy or collect products that could not be offered without their online marketplace.”
This new feature automates the management of all stages and exchanges between the third-party seller and the retailer relating to a request for delivery in store, while giving the end customer visibility throughout the process. The retailer can also offer shoppers the option to pay for their order when they come to collect their purchases in store.
Having launched their marketplace, chain stores find that the ‘Click & Collect’ feature creates the possibility of increasing in-store traffic. By making their outlets available to third-party sellers, operators are becoming part of customers’ buying journey. Increased in-store traffic is an opportunity for chain stores to enhance their offering and generate additional sales, thus increasing revenue and customer loyalty.
Finally, the consumer feels that this new feature enhances their omni-channel purchasing experience. They can arrange for delivery in their favorite store even if the product is ordered from a third-party seller on a marketplace.
“Marketplaces allow retailers to expand their product offering significantly and to keep consumers on their website for longer,” said Corrot.
“By combining this greater choice and competitive prices with the convenience of ‘Click & Collect,’ retailers can significantly improve their e-commerce offering. We are removing the remaining barriers between marketplaces and traditional e-commerce. This translates into more sales for third-party sellers, more in-store traffic for the retailer and an enriched omni-channel shopping experience for the consumer.”