Location Codes for Retail Store Pick-up

Click-and-collect looks easy from the retailer's side: the customer orders online and picks up in store. In practice, customers wander. The collection counter is at the back of the shop, curbside pick-up is on a side street, and the car park has three entrances. A few minutes lost per customer adds up to a poor experience and a busy phone line.

A fixed point, many users

This is the reverse of home delivery. Instead of each customer giving a unique location, the retailer publishes one code, or a few, for the places where customers collect. That makes the setup simple, because the codes are created once and reused in every order confirmation.

What to create

• Store entrance for in-store collection.
• Curbside bay where staff bring orders to cars.
• Locker or collection point, if you have one outside the building.
• Car park entrance for locations where it is hard to spot.
• Returns drop-off, if different from the collection point.

Putting it into the workflow

1. Create a code for each collection spot and name it clearly.
2. Insert the relevant code and a link into the "ready for collection" message.
3. Add it to the website's store page and to the "my order" screen.
4. Train staff to read the code to customers who call, so that everyone uses the same reference.

The store plugins for WooCommerce, PrestaShop and OpenCart are built to capture a customer's chosen location at checkout, not to display a shop's collection point. For pick-up, publish the store codes in your order messages and on your store page instead.

Honest notes

A code names the place; it does not manage stock, order status or collection windows. It also does not tell customers about opening hours. For multi-store chains, keep a table of store codes in your own system and keep it current when you relocate.

Related reading includes parcel lockers and delivery points and e-commerce stores.

Try the flow yourself

Try the flow yourself by placing a test order and following the message to the collection spot. Small wording changes, such as naming the nearest landmark, often make a large difference to how quickly customers find you.