IBritish parcel and carrier manager Global Freight Solutions (GFS) has launched a new ‘click andcollect’ service for major outdoor clothing brand Musto which can be extended to other
e-retailers.The system enables e-commerce operators to incorporate the latest alternative delivery trendwithout making wholesale changes to their websites, GFS said.
GFS already handles both domestic and international shipments on behalf of Musto, which is famedfor its range of sailing, equestrian, shooting and leisure apparel. The firm, based in Basildon,Essex, was founded by Olympic sailing silver medallist Keit Musto, to supply a complete range ofsailing clothing and has expanded into designing clothing for leisure, shooting and equestriansport.
Musto’s Supply Chain Director, Vaughan Bendall, hailed the ‘click and collect’ initiative asoffering “convenience and simplicity”. He said: “It gives our customers even more choice about themethod of delivery and collection. Very importantly, however, it also helps bring together both our‘bricks and mortar’ estate and online offering, driving footfall to our stores, which is somethingthat we are very keen to encourage.”
The GFS ‘click and collect’ system allows customers to select delivery of their online purchasesto any one of 19 Musto stores nearest to them. When goods arrive at the retail premises, consumersare notified by e-mail or text that they are ready for collection. Once the bought item is pickedup, the system also instructs Musto to deduct payment from the customer’s bank account.
Daniel Ennor, Commercial Director for GFS, described the module as representing “a hassle-freeinterface between retailers’ finance, e-commerce and retail functions” and confirmed that thesystem was being released free to GFS’s other retail clients.
“We are effectively putting ‘click and collect’ within easy reach of those retailers which mightpreviously have been deterred by the perceived difficulties of restructuring their e-commercesites,” he commented.
“We know that adding such a facility to existing websites is no small undertaking. What ourproject for Musto has determined is a straightforward way of overcoming the technological andfinancial hurdles to deliver the sort of choice and convenience which consumers have come to expectfrom a premier brand.”
The development of a new ‘click and collect’ module is the latest technological innovation forGFS, which was founded in 2001 and moves more than six million parcels every year on behalf ofleading brands in the retail, beauty, engineering, financial services and leisure industries.
Last year the firm launched its Enterprise Carrier Management system (ECM), with a suite ofsoftware products, allowing shippers to manage their relationship with carriers across everydepartment of their enterprise. ECM covers everything from delivery options in the check-out, trackand trace, smart routing, label production, performance analysis and billing validation.
