UK: Click and Collect purchases to hit $6.1 billion by 2018

The report and infographic from Verdict reveals rapid growth in the click and collect service segment, although even by 2018 it will only account for 8% of online sales and 1.2% of total retail sales.

Currently, the fashion segment is the most popular for the service, with 23.5% of online shoppers and 46.5% of click and collect shoppers using the channel in their purchase journey.

Typical click and collect users are between the ages of 25 and 44, says Verdict, with women being the most likely to pick up orders (54%). Over a quarter (27%) of online shoppers expect to increase their use of click and collect services.

"Home delivery companies, and pure-play online retailers are monitoring the development of click and collect and are reacting accordingly," said Matthew Rubin, analyst at Verdict.

"They are looking to offer collection points at convenience stores and lockers, same day delivery, narrower delivery time slots and improved tracking and updates of estimated delivery times."

With its 10,500 or so Post Offices across the U.K., Royal Mail is set to offer a click and collect service later this year.

"We are modernizing our branches to make it as easy as possible for customers to access our services," said Martin Moran, the Post Office's commercial director. "With many of our branches now open for longer, the Post Office's unrivalled network provides an ideal location for online shoppers to collect their purchases at a time and place which suits them best."

Tags: click and collect, delivery trends, ecommerce, online shopping, retail, retail sales, UK