The e-commerce businesses have come a long way in India and it has been estimated that by the end of 2016 there will be more than 40 million online shoppers in India. Technology driven e-retailers are giving the physical brick-and-mortar stores a run for their money by attracting customers with lucrative discounts, low prices, and door-to-door delivery. The introduction of cash on delivery (COD) concept has been a key driving factor for both customers who don’t have credit cards and the e-retailers who want their customer base to increase. According to report, 2015 was the year of digital customers as many offline buyers have shifted their focus to online shopping.

The Roadblocks
Though e-commerce has seen a sharp upward trend in the past few years, there have been hurdles along the way that have impacted the quality of service. One such challenge is the last mile delivery, the last phase of the online shopping process. Both the shoppers and the ecommerce industries see it as a huge roadblock in the way of smooth and seamless delivery process as there have been multiple instances when customers are unable to receive calls of the delivery persons to collect their orders, or are not present at the given address.
Such instances result in waste of time and money for both the customers and the ecommerce companies and there is a need for a simplified delivery system that helps in overcoming such challenges. Taking such factors into consideration, the concept of click and collect has been introduced. Though the concept is new in India, it has been a buzz word in western countries.

Click and Collect from Smartbox for a Seamless Shopping Experience

The click & collect technology is expected to have a transformation impact on the e-commerce industry. The concept is quite simple, when e-shoppers buy a product online, they don’t have to wait for the item to be delivered. With click and collect, consumers can go to an automated parcel delivery terminal located close to their home or office and collect the order as per their convenience.

The concept of self-service delivery or parcel lockers has been launched in India by Smartbox, which has introduced the first network of automated parcel delivery terminals in India. Currently, present at various locations in Delhi NCR region, this network will expand all over India by the end of 2016 to help consumers and e-commerce companies in 24/7 parcel pick-up and drop respectively. Smartbox automated parcel delivery terminals will also help e-commerce businesses save on the added costs of missed deliveries.