Doddle, a click-and-collect services and technology provider with retail customers that include Amazon and Asos, has launched in the U.S.
The solution is designed to enable large-scale retailers to launch an in-store click-and-collect offering. Doddle offers benefits to both omnichannel retailers and pure-play e-Commerce companies, empowering them to provide pickup points for online brands and pull digital traffic into stores.
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“We notify customers when their order is on its way, and this is where we can re-engage them about opportunities to earn points or to shop further,” said Tim Robinson, CEO of Doddle in an interview with Retail TouchPoints at the 2019 NRF Big Show. “As they get into the physical environment like the supermarket, we use that technology to re-engage on behalf of the host. That might be discounts for today, or benefits for coming back on Tuesday or trying out another pickup location. We’re trying to get as much value as we can at both ends of that supply chain.”
The company already has built a retail partner network in the UK that includes Debenhams and Morrisons. Each store allows shoppers to pick up purchases from other partners, such as Amazon.
“Brick-and-mortar retailers have been scratching their heads for years about how to navigate online competition, while online has been doing the same about how to get into physical retail,” said Robinson in a statement. “We’ve created a solution that’s mutually beneficial for everyone, including customers, that solves these challenges. In fact, 58% of customers collecting or returning a package at one of Doddle’s partner locations made an in-store purchase.”
Doddle also can enable digital returns at its retail partner locations. Shoppers prepare their returns online by filling out a short questionnaire, then drop off the items at an unmanned machine without needing to wait in line. This capability can simultaneously reduce friction for shoppers returning items and help retailers gather information about the reasons for the return.
“It keeps the process digital while recognizing that the customer needs the physical environment to do it,” said Robinson. “The more consumers can self-serve, the lower the cost of service for the retailer, and by keeping it digital you can gather much richer data about why the consumer is returning the item.”
