House of Fraser trials ‘virtual queuing’ for online collection
House of Fraser is trialling a new ‘virtual queuing’ system for customers waiting to pick up items from its online collection service, ‘Buy & Collect’.
By Sarah Vizard
Customers that have bought items online and are picking up their purchase in-store will be able to check-in at self-service kiosks and enter a virtual queue. Then, rather than waiting around for their order, they can browse the store, with a text message informing them how long their item will be and a link allowing them to check progress.
The trial is taking place at House of Fraser’s London City store, which the company says has some of the longest queues for ‘Buy & Collect’ during peak hours.
Andy Harding, executive director of multichannel at the retailer, says: “Early signs are that customers enjoy the experience and prefer to be given the option to browse the store or enjoy a coffee rather than wait in a queue. Following the trial we will use the feedback gained from both customers and staff to develop the experience before implementing the service across the portfolio.
