Click and Collect: How It Works for Retailers

Click and collect is a way to buy online and pick the order up in a shop or at a collection point. The customer clicks to buy and collects in person, usually the same day. It is the standard term in the UK, Europe and Australia. In the US the same idea is called BOPIS.

It works for a retailer when the shop that is chosen has the item, the collection point is easy to find and the shopper knows before paying which shops offer it. This guide covers how it works, why shoppers use it, how to set it up and how a store locator helps people find the right shop.

Related: BOPIS guide | Curbside pickup guide | How to increase foot traffic | Pickup point and parcel locker locator

The short answer

• Click and collect and BOPIS are the same thing. Use the term your audience searches for: "click and collect" in the UK and Europe, "BOPIS" or "in-store pickup" in the US.
• It brings shoppers into your shop and removes the delivery cost. Shoppers can add something while they are there.
• Get four things right: accurate stock per shop, a quick collection point, clear "ready" messages and a visible way to see which shops offer it.
• Start with a counter near the entrance and a few shops. Add lockers or curbside later.
• Your online store runs the orders. A store locator helps shoppers find the shops that offer collection, with hours and instructions.

What is click and collect?

Click and collect is a retail fulfillment method where customers place an order online and pick it up at a physical shop or collection point.

In the United States the same concept goes by:

• BOPIS. Buy Online, Pick Up In Store
• In-store pickup, the generic term
• BOPAC. Buy Online, Pick Up At Curb, the curbside pickup variant

The journey is identical: shop online, pay online, collect at a location. Only the name and the market differ. Search engines treat the two terms as separate topics, with UK examples for one and US examples for the other. For the American side, see the complete BOPIS guide.

How click and collect works

The customer's view

1. Browse and buy online on your website or app.
2. Choose "Click & Collect" and pick a shop.
3. Pay online.
4. Get a confirmation with the order details and when it should be ready.
5. Wait for the "ready" message. The shop picks, packs and stages the order.
6. Collect in the shop. Show an order number, confirmation email or QR code.
7. Browse while there. Many shoppers add something.

The retailer's view

1. The order is routed to the chosen shop.
2. Staff check the stock on the shop floor or in the stockroom.
3. Pick and pack the order and check it.
4. Stage it in the collection area, labelled with a name or order number.
5. Send the notification by email or SMS.
6. Check identity and hand over the order.
7. Mention an offer or a complementary product.
8. Mark it as collected, which can trigger a receipt, a review request or loyalty points.

Preparation time is the main operational challenge. The faster the order is ready, the clearer the advantage over home delivery.

Why shoppers and retailers use it

Capital One Shopping's BOPIS statistics roundup reports that 48% of US BOPIS consumers use it mainly to avoid shipping fees, that 77% say seeing an item before taking it home is a primary reason, and that 85% of US BOPIS shoppers have made an additional purchase when they went to collect an order. Market-size figures vary a lot by source; see Fit Small Business's BOPIS statistics, Statista, a Research and Markets release on click-and-collect growth, IMRG for UK online retail and ICSC for shopping-centre research.

For retailers

• More visits. Every collection order brings a shopper through the door, and the shop becomes a sales channel.
• Extra purchases. A shopper collecting trainers walks past the accessories and the sale rack. Some retailers route the collection path past high-margin products.
• No delivery cost. The customer does the last mile.
• Fewer return shipments. Wrong size? Exchange it at the counter.
• Use of shop stock, so shelf stock can fill online orders.
• Differentiation. Where local rivals do not offer collection, or offer it badly, a smooth service sets your retail shops apart.

For customers

• Speed. Often the same day.
• No delivery fee, which matters most for bulky items.
• Their schedule. Nobody has to be home.
• No missed or stolen parcels.
• Inspect before committing, with an easy exchange.

Click and collect, BOPIS and curbside

Click and collect and BOPIS are the same service under two names. Curbside pickup is the variant where a staff member brings the order to the car. It trades the chance to sell more for convenience.

Large retailers often offer all three, and the customer picks. Smart retailers make it clear which options each location offers. For ideas, see store locator examples.

How to set up click and collect

Setup is mostly operational discipline, not technology.

1. A collection area

• Near the entrance, so customers do not cross the shop
• Clearly signed from the car park and inside
• Staffed at busy times, not a bell and a sign
• Organised by order number or surname so orders are quick to find

Some retailers go further. John Lewis has offered collection lounges with seating, and IKEA has used separate collection buildings at some sites. Pick the approach your volume and brand justify.

2. Signage

• Signs in the car park pointing to the right entrance
• Signs from the front door to the counter
• Floor markings if the counter is not in view
• A screen for order readiness if you have the volume

First-time shoppers judge the whole service by how easy it is to find.

3. Staff training

• Checking orders quickly: emails, QR codes or order numbers
• A fast handoff, so nobody queues long
• Problems: an item that is missing, damaged or wrong
• A light mention of an offer at handoff
• Busy times: keeping a queue moving

4. Notifications

• Order confirmed: email with the shop and when to expect it
• Order ready: SMS and email with collection instructions
• Reminder if it has not been collected after a set time
• Follow-up: a receipt and an optional feedback request

SMS suits the "ready" message because people are often on the move.

5. Stock integration

Collection only works if the item is at the chosen shop. Promising it and then writing "sorry, out of stock" costs trust.

• Sync your online store with shop-level stock in real time or close to it
• Keep a safety buffer and only show an item as available when more than a unit or two is in stock
• Suggest another shop if the chosen one is out
• Use sales data to keep popular items at busy collection shops

6. Packaging and staging

• Label each order with a name, order number and date
• Order by due time, so the next collection is easiest to reach
• Store properly if you sell food or cosmetics
• Bag it so the customer can grab and go

Showing collection locations on your store locator

A great collection service does not help if shoppers cannot tell which shops offer it. They default to delivery or go elsewhere.

Not every shop offers it

If only some of your shops offer collection, shoppers need to tell them apart. A list that does not say leads to someone driving to a shop that cannot help.

Use a filter

Add a Click & Collect filter to your store locator. Shoppers search for nearby shops, switch the filter on and see only those that support collection. StoreRocket's filters let you tag each location with services such as click and collect, curbside, drive-through or locker pickup, and visitors filter by what matters to them.

Show collection hours

Collection hours often differ from trading hours. A shop might open until 9 PM and stop processing collections earlier. StoreRocket shows weekly opening hours with an Open Now status in each location's own time zone. Put the collection hours in a custom field such as "Collection hours" so both are visible.

Add instructions per location

Setups differ, so say where to go, for example in a custom field such as "Collection point":

• "Collection counter on the ground floor, left of the main entrance"
• "Use the Click & Collect entrance on the east side"
• "Collections from the customer service desk, first floor"

Link the locator from checkout

The shop-selection step at checkout is the key moment. Link your locator from that step, so shoppers can search by postcode and check which shop is closest and when it is open. The choice itself is made in your online store's checkout, and live stock per shop comes from your online store and point of sale, not from the locator.

Click and collect examples

These retailers have made collection a normal part of shopping. Details change, so check each retailer's own page.

• Argos (UK). Reserve an item online and collect it from a store. Its collection model is a reference point for UK retail.
• Tesco (UK). Click+Collect lets customers order groceries online and collect from a store or a collection point.
• John Lewis (UK). Click and collect with a personal handoff, and collection through partner Waitrose shops.
• Target (US). Order Pickup and Drive Up are chosen in the app at checkout, and Drive Up brings the order to the car.
• IKEA. Click and collect for large flatpack items, with a dedicated collection point at some locations.
• Walmart (US). In-store pickup and curbside from the app, with pickup time options by store.
• Zara. Click and collect connected to its app, with a QR code for collection at some stores.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is click and collect?

A retail service where customers buy online and pick the order up at a physical shop or collection point. It is the common term in the UK, Europe and Australia. In the United States it is called BOPIS or in-store pickup.

How does click and collect work?

The customer buys online, selects a shop, receives a confirmation, waits for a "ready" message, visits the collection point and shows their confirmation to collect. Preparation time depends on the retailer.

Is click and collect the same as BOPIS?

Yes. Click and collect is the UK, Australian and European term. BOPIS is the US term. Both describe buying online and collecting in person. See the BOPIS guide.

Is click and collect free?

Often, because the customer handles the transport. Some retailers set a minimum order value. Check the retailer's terms. Free collection is one of its advantages over paid home delivery.

How long does click and collect take?

It depends on the retailer. Many say when an order will be ready at checkout and send a message when it is. Grocery collection often uses a booked slot.

What is the difference between click and collect and home delivery?

With click and collect you pick the order up yourself. With home delivery a courier brings it. Collection is often faster and cheaper, and avoids missed deliveries. Delivery suits shoppers who cannot or do not want to travel. Many people use both.

The bottom line

Click and collect is a core piece of an omnichannel customer experience for multi-location retailers. It brings shoppers in, saves delivery cost and gives you a chance to sell more. The usual gap is discoverability: shoppers need to see which shops offer it.

A store locator with service filters, collection hours and per-location instructions closes that gap.

StoreRocket gives multi-location retailers a store locator for their own website: import your locations from a spreadsheet, match it to your brand and paste one embed code. Create your locator with a free trial, no credit card needed.