The COVID pandemic has changed the way we shop, even though social distancing measures have eased and life returns to normal. As online delivery services continue to grow in popularity, more and more brick-and-mortar retailers are turning to click and collect — also known as in-store or curbside pickup — to remain competitive.
It seems their plan is working — customers love how click and collect combines the ease of online shopping with the immediacy of buying something in person. According to Insider estimates, Americans spent over $70 billion dollars on click-and-collect shopping last year — making up nearly 10% of all online sales.
What Is Click and Collect?
Ok, so it’s very popular — but what is click and collect, exactly?
Essentially, click and collect is an e-commerce service that lets you purchase goods online and pick them up at a local brick-and-mortar retail location, rather than waiting to receive the items via delivery. It’s also a convenient way to avoid having to walk around stores hunting for each and every item on your list.
Click and collect sometimes goes by other names, including “in-store pickup” or “curbside pickup” There are slight differences, however, between these two services.
In-store pickup, as the name suggests, requires you to enter the store to pick up your purchases. With curbside pickup, store employees will carry your purchases outside to your car. Usually, there is a dedicated parking space or waiting zone near the entrance of a store for curbside pickup.
How Click and Collect Works
With click and collect, buyers typically shop through a dedicated app or store website. After choosing what you want to purchase and paying on the site, you receive confirmation when the store receives your order. Employees then collect the purchases in-store and notify you when your order is ready.
Finally, you travel to the store and find your order ready and waiting. Usually, click and collect stores will require the order confirmation info and a government-issued ID to receive your items.
Stores With Click and Collect
With all that out of the way, let’s look at some of the most popular retailers offering click-and-collect services.
Ikea
Anyone who’s wandered the maze of an Ikea store will appreciate the usefulness of Ikea click-and-collect services. Instead of meandering through the labyrinths of display furniture and warehouse shelves, customers can find what they need at IKEA’s online storefront and select the “click and collect” option during checkout.
Ikea has signage in stores showing you where to find their click-and-collect station. Keep in mind that not all items are available for click and collect, and the site will inform you if your order is eligible.
The Home Depot
Hardware shopping is proving very popular among click-and-collect customers, and it’s not hard to guess why. Click and collect at Home Depot saves you the trouble of lugging giant planks of wood or heavy-duty equipment across the expanse of their enormous floor plan.
In-store pickup services are available at all Home Depot locations, while curbside pickup is only available at a few select stores. In-store pickup orders can be picked up at the Customer Service desk, inside the store and near the front. Curbside pickup items are brought out to designated locations in the parking lot — either in labeled parking spaces or a special curbside pickup area.
Walmart
Walmart is another big-box chain that’s implemented an enormously popular click-and-collect option. Last year, $1 out of every $4 spent at Walmart was spent on a click-and-collect order, according to CNBC.
The superstore offers both curbside pickup and in-store pickup from their in-store kiosks, though some stores have phased out pick up in stores. Walmart allows you to schedule your pickup for any time you want — just make sure to “check-in” through their app (or via the phone number on their Curbside Pickup signs) when you leave to pick up your items. Also, note that Walmart charges a $5.99 service fee for orders under $35.
Target
Target is another one-stop superstore for click-and-collect customers. They took their curbside pickup service nationwide in 2019, after which it rapidly became one of their customers’ favorite ways to shop at the big red store.
Target offers both in-store and drive up pickup options. In-store pickup can be accessed on Target.com or the Target app, but their drive-up option is only available to app users. Unlike curbside pickup at some other retailers, however, there’s no minimum order amount to use this service for free. Plus, now you can order Starbucks to be delivered with your curbside order in select locations.
Best Buy
Coveted gadgets are only a few clicks and a short drive away when you’re shopping Best Buy’s stock online. The tech megastore offers a few different click and collect options for its shoppers.
Free contactless curbside pickup is available at certain Best Buy locations, and all stores offer Fast Store pickup (their in-store pickup service). Certain large items like TVs and refrigerators may also be picked up at local warehouse locations — if this is an option on your order, you’ll see it pop up when selecting a pickup store.
Kohl’s
In 2022, we saw the introduction of Kohl’s “self-pickup” service at all of their U.S. locations. This service streamlines the in-store pickup process to happen all within your phone, helping you avoid the long lines that tend to form at their Customer Service desks.
Here’s how it works: After ordering an item for click and collect, you’ll receive a confirmation email. After your order is ready, you travel to the pickup location and follow signs to the designated self-pickup area. Enter the code found on the pickup station, after which the app will tell you which bin your item is located in. Then you can grab it and go — no human interaction required.
H&M
In contrast to some of its department store competitors, H&M has been somewhat slow to implement click-and-collect services. At the moment, free in-store pickup is only available at a handful of H&M locations.
ASOS
Surprisingly, click and collect isn’t limited to retailers with brick-and-mortar locations. The popular British online clothing retailer ASOS is one of the few online retailers to offer both direct delivery and click and collect.
ASOS click-and-collect orders can be picked up at Nordstrom collection points or UPS locations. In the U.S., the delivery to the pickup location takes up to six business days and costs $7 for orders under $49.99. There’s also an Express click-and-collect option, which arrives in two days and costs $10. Express click and collect is free above a certain spending threshold, which changes depending on your location.
Urban Outfitters
America’s favorite purveyor of trendy clothing and home goods has, of course, stayed on the cutting edge of the click-and-collect trend as well.
In-store pickup options are available at all Urban Outfitters locations, and curbside pickup can be found at a select few. Items in-stock at your nearest location can be snagged within 24 hours, while items that have to be delivered take five to six days. Plus, Urban Outfitters offers a Collection Points option, allowing you to ship select merchandise to a secure location and pick it up when it’s convenient.
Nordstrom
Nordstrom has been experimenting with some interesting fulfillment options lately with their Nordstrom Local program in New York and Los Angeles. Nordstrom Local stores don’t actually offer in-person shopping — they’re dedicated solely to click and collect pickups, express alteration services and item returns.
Fortunately, you don’t need to live in New York or LA to use their in-store pickup service, as both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack locations across the U.S. offer click-and-collect options. Depending on stock availability, you can pick up select items in-store within 24 hours or three to five days. Ship-to-store options will take between five to eight days.
Recently, Nordstrom added a curbside pickup option as well, though this option isn’t available at Nordstrom Rack yet.
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