ACS has updated its guidance on Home Delivery to help retailers consider the best fit for their store when it comes to offering the service.
At the start of the pandemic, offering a home delivery option for customers that were isolating, shielding or otherwise unable to get to the store became an essential service for thousands of retailers. During the first lockdown, ACS estimated that over 600,000 deliveries a week were going out from convenience stores to their communities.
As we now move into the next phase of the pandemic with fewer restrictions, the updated Home Delivery guide provides an overview of the different options for retailers either looking to evolve their offer or provide home delivery services for the first time.
Figures from the ACS Voice of Local Shops Survey show that around one in five independent retailers (18%) provides a home delivery service for customers that order by phone, with 7% working alongside a third party app such as Deliveroo. 13% of stores provide home delivery for vulnerable customers.
Of those who provide some form of home delivery service for customers, over a third (34%) have no additional charges on the service (for example premium pricing, minimum spend or delivery fees).
The guide includes information on:
- How to set up payment options for taking deliveries
- Best practice when packing and carrying out deliveries to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 and other viruses
- What to consider if charging for deliveries
- What to look for when entering into a partnership with a third party on home deliveries from the store
- GDPR and data security implications of offering home delivery
For retailers who sell age restricted products for home delivery, there are also a number of things to consider which are covered in our Age Restricted Sales guide here.
The updated Home Delivery Guide is available to download here.
