THE internet revolution has brought a massive boost for a shopping centre in North Wales.<\/p>\n
While many predicted that online sales would sound the death knell of traditional bricks and mortar shopping, major stores at the Eagles Meadow in Wrexham say their sales have been given a healthy shot in the arm by Click and Collect.<\/p>\n
Retailers say more and more customers order online and picking up their purchases in store, often the next day.<\/p>\n
Andy Smethurst, operations manager of the big Debenhams store, revealed that their Click and Collect operation had grown by as much as 20 per cent in just the past year.<\/p>\n
Store bosses said that new lower parking fees announced at Eagles Meadow to widespread acclaim late last year were also making it easier for people to collect their internet purchases. And centre bosses confirmed that the number of car parking was up by 30 per cent.<\/p>\n
Andy Smethurst said: \u201cWe set up our Click and Collect facility a few years ago and it\u2019s increasing in popularity to the point where it went up by 20 per cent last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople order online and, with most things, they can pick their purchase from a dedicated area in store the next day, free of charge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019ve got the item in stock at the store we can set it aside ready for collection and if we don\u2019t have it we can have it sent from another of our centres by 10am next day.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople like Click and Collect because they don\u2019t have to wait in at home while a courier service delivers their goods at home or drops them off with a neighbour.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can collect at their own convenience and it only takes a few minutes for them to come into the store, either during the day or after work, especially on our late night shopping evenings.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother bonus for us is that when they come in to collect their purchase people have a look around the store and buy other things.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cheaper parking introduced at Eagles Meadow just before Christmas has also helped to boost our Click and Collect service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma Pashley, manager of the Topman store, reckons as many as 70 per cent of people who come in to collect items bought online make further purchases when they call in store.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cTopman and our sister store Topshop introduced Click and Collect just over two years ago and it\u2019s gone from strength to strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople order items in the comfort of their own home and then don\u2019t have to wait around at home for it to be delivered, which is difficult if you\u2019re out at work all day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s increased in popularity quite a bit since we started it and usage of the service peaks just before Christmas and during the holiday season when people are getting their new summer clothes together.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are quite a lot people who take a look around the store and see other things they like when they come in to pick up their purchases. In fact, I\u2019d say that 70 per cent of people buy something extra in that way.<\/p>\n
\u201cClick and Collect has been a real boost for us as it\u2019s bringing more people into our store and increasing the centre\u2019s footfall generally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ann Littler, manager of the Wallis clothes store, said: \u201cWe\u2019ve definitely seen our Click and Collect service get more popular since we started it a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have one main delivery of goods bought online each week and it\u2019s now usually three big sacks full of items.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also got a computer terminal in store with which people can order online if we don\u2019t happen to have the size or colour they want.\u00a0 These items can also be delivered on a Click and Collect basis.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy getting people into the store in this way we\u2019re also seeing them buy other things, which has been good for our business and the footfall of the whole shopping centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just another customer service that you must have if you want to have a successful business in this day and age.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eagles Meadow centre manager Kevin Critchley said: \u201cIt\u2019s the case these days that most bricks and mortar retailers are also internet retailers, so offering Click and Collect makes obvious sense.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s advantageous in that it not only brings more people into the shopping centre when they pick up their purchases but also means that retailers with limited floor space can offer a much wider range of stock from their online collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, the popularity of Click and Collect at Eagles Meadow has been helped tremendously by our new car parking rates, which were drastically reduced by between 55 per cent and 38 per cent last winter.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur latest figures show that the number of car parking tickets sold at Eagles Meadow in February was 30 per cent up on the same period the previous year, which shows clearly that the reduced charges are attracting more people to shop at the centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmong the changes is a new one hour rate of \u00a31 for people who just need to pop by for a quick visit, and that makes it far cheaper to leave your vehicle while you collect your purchases than it would have been this time last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two hour rate has been cut from \u00a33.10 to \u00a31.50 while the three hour charge is down from \u00a34.49 to \u00a32, with a reduction in the four hour fee from \u00a35.60 to \u00a33.50.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe evening rate has also been reduced from \u00a32.50 to \u00a31.50 for people going to the cinema, tenpin bowling or to eat at one of the centre’s restaurants.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe change came about because the lease held by car park operators Vinci was\u00a0 terminated by mutual agreement and taken over by multi-national car park specialists Secure Parking UK who have more than a million car parking spaces in 11 countries world-wide.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about the Click and Collect services available at Eagles Meadow go to http:\/\/www.eagles-meadow.co.uk\/eat-shop-play\/click-collect.html<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n