Krillion broadens local search, in-store pick up platform

If you think your local store can't harness the power of the Internet, think again. Local search engine Krillion is taking local search to the next level by allowing consumers to shop for goods online yet pick them up locally. Since opening with service to electronics, the company has broadened its reach by adding 96 new product categories - and giving local merchants another online avenue.

by Kristina Knight

Studies have shown that shoppers are increasingly researching product purchases online but many still prefer to pick up those products in-store so that they don't have to wait for or pay for delivery and so that they don't waste gas by traveling for miles only to find a product is out of stock. With gas prices soaring, this is even more important, but merchants are finding another reason to add in-store pick up: consumers can check out an item prior to purchase. If they don't like the item, the don't have to buy and will likely choose another item in the store. Meaning the merchant doesn't lose a sale even if the consumer doesn't purchase the intended product.

The new categories Krillion has added to its local search hub include office equipment, electronics, tools and hardware as well as audio equipment. The additions increase the number of brands served by Krillion to 900; the search hub connects consumers with more than 1 billion in-store items.

The brilliance of the in-store pick up model is that consumers automatically know if the item is in stock; if not, they will go elsewhere but isn't that preferable to an angry customer who comes to a brick and mortar store to buy an item only to find it sold out? Especially when consumers are shopping on sales flyers, when items aren't in stock they can become disenchanted with the merchant's brand and may avoid the store altogether in the future. By allowing consumers to know what items are in stock, merchants can avoid that problem area.