With more than 300,000 instances every day in the UK, the problem of missed deliveries is a growing headache for online retailers facing escalating costs. Perhaps more importantly, however, inconvenient delivery options are also having a direct impact on conversion rates at checkout, as a new study reveals that 48% of basket abandonments happen as a result of insufficient delivery choice.
Many leading retailers are successfully winning and retaining customers by using their own brick and mortar shops to offer a Click & Collect service. This flexibility is proving extremely popular, as a report from Deloitte highlights that as many as 95% of consumers across Europe plan to use Click & Collect for part of their Christmas shopping.
Now an innovative new service, HubBox, is set to enable online retailers of all sizes to compete with High Street giants by offering them their own simple, flexible Click & Collect solution. Rather than requiring retailers to have physical spaces of their own, online-only retailers can now utilise HubBox’s nationwide network of pick-up points at trusted local shops so customers can collect their orders at a time and place that is convenient for them.
The HubBox Click & Collect service can be easily integrated into the checkout process of any online retailer (including platforms Shopify, Magento, and Woo Commerce) with no interference with any existing payment or fulfilment infrastructure. The light touch set-up enables each retailer to have its own customised, branded solution, creating a seamless integration with most major e-commerce platforms and a hassle-free user experience.
With almost 1 in 5 consumers saying Click & Collect has changed the way they shop and 74% of retailers seeing an increase in sales as a direct result of improving their delivery options, HubBox’s “Shop online, collect around the corner” solution can provide online retailers with an invaluable competitive advantage.
Putting customers in control of delivery:
HubBox offers online shoppers a safe, secure alternative for their deliveries, enabling them to select a pick-up point close to their home, work, gym or any other location they can visit at a convenient time. The HubBox Click & Collect service is perfect in cases where customers are not able to sign for a delivery, they do not want parcels delivered to their neighbours, or they don’t want others in the household to see gifts being delivered. It also eliminates the security issue of left parcels being stolen or drawing attention to the fact that the house is empty.
HubBox is designed to be as intuitive and flexible for users as possible, offering a simple, secure process that puts them in control of their deliveries:
- Users sign up and receive their own unique HubBox ID
- At the checkout of any online retailer, users simply add their HubBox ID and chosen pick-up point to the name and delivery address fields
- Goods are shipped direct to pick-up points and the user receives a confirmation email when the parcel is ready to collect[
HubBox will be releasing a customer app in late 2016, so using the service will be even easier and more convenient for customers.
Behind the business:
HubBox is the brainchild of entrepreneur Sam Jarvis. Having experienced the frustration and inconvenience of frequently missed deliveries first-hand, he set about developing a solution to a growing problem. Since its founding in 2014, the company has expanded to build an experienced in-house tech team. HubBox has just completed a successful second round of funding and is backed by Nexus Investments and a number of prominent angel investors. The board includes such business leaders as Rob Fraser (ex-CTO Sainsburys, Boots) and Alan Halsall (ex-Silvercross).
