Dutch non-food discounter Action is to trial click & collect in two of its French stores. The pilot is a direct consequence of the coronavirus crisis, which forced the chain to close all of its stores in several countries.
Shopping basket
The trial is Action’s first venture into e-commerce: the retailer currently does have a website that shows its products and prices, but actually ordering online is – as of yet – not possible.
The system that is now trialled in France allows customers to fill a virtual shopping basket on the website, and then confirm the order so that store staff make sure the order is ready for pick-up at a certain time.
Ready for second wave
Action was hit hard by the measures designed to stop the spread of Covid-19, which forced the discounter to close all of its stores in Belgium and France. The retailer now says it wants to be better prepared for a possible second wave: “This form of e-commerce allows us to keep serving our customers, even if a second wave hits”, a spokesperson told RetailNews.
The stores in the pilot project are still closed themselves. If the French test proves successful, Action may implement the click & collect system elsewhere.
