WORDS: DEBBIE HATHWAY :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Retailers and customers benefit from online shopping and delivery to far-flung areas through the click-and-collect model.
The excitement and ease of buying goods online is often tempered with the frustration of waiting for delivery at an all-too-vague time of day for those hooked on instant gratification. Click-and-collect specialist Pargo offers a more time- and place-friendly method of receiving goods that is challenging traditional methods such as courier services. Delivery challenges are a global trend, felt more fiercely in far-flung areas. In SA’s case, Pargo is changing the way retailers interact with township-living residents, now benefiting from their service that facilitates delivery of items ordered online to central pick-up points close by.
South African customers have reportedly become more discerning when choosing a delivery service, frustrated by late drop-offs, lost drivers, or lack of status updates on parcel delivery. Naturally, demand is high for service providers who can meet expectations.
A new advertising series by Pargo highlights customers’ frustrations with humour. The latest one portrays a driver at his wits’ end as he encounters a broken street sign, no signal and a customer’s phone that rings unanswered when he tries to complete delivery. This is compared to the alternate experience of using a Pargo pick-up point for a later collection.
CAN YOU RELATE?
It follows the company’s hugely successful “Live more, wait less” video, showing a South African missing out on fun things while battling late deliveries. More than 95,000 YouTubers have viewed the slot so far.
Pargo CEO Lars Veul explains why these ads resonate: “They’re funny because they’re true,” he says. The significant surge in the click-and-collect model, both domestically and internationally, has coincided with a growing dissatisfaction with conventional delivery approaches.
NO NEED TO WAIT AT HOME
According to a recent survey by The Witness, more than half of the respondents (53.8%) preferred retrieving their purchases from a designated pick-up point rather than opting for home delivery. Similarly, in the UK, Barclays Corporate Bank has reported that click-and-collect services now contribute to 40% of the total sales for retailers providing this option. The appeal of this model for consumers stems from several factors, as highlighted by Veul. It offers complete visibility regarding the arrival time of an order at the chosen pick-up point, allowing consumers to decide when and where they wish to collect their items, thus ensuring a high level of convenience. Furthermore, the provision of delivery tracking proves to be one of the primary attractions for online shoppers, as it keeps both the sender and the recipient informed about the progress of the delivery.
PICK UP AND GO
Having established itself in 2015, Pargo has dominated the click-and-collect sphere in the South African market. With over 4,000 Pargo pick-up points scattered across the country, consumers now have the option to collect their parcels from various locations. Veul emphasises that their click-and-collect service is more cost-effective compared to traditional delivery methods, owing to their extensive network integrated with major retailers in SA, enabling them to provide competitive pricing.
Essentially, this implies that efficient and budget-friendly delivery services are accessible to a broader audience, benefiting from the added advantage of receiving timely notifications through emails and text messages when their orders are ready for collection. “Customers can conveniently collect their orders at their preferred time and location, often extending beyond regular business hours and spanning over weekends,” states Veul.
