Specialized launches click & collect in US
Specialized has announced the launch of a Click and Collect programme for its retailers in the US, which connects Specialized purchases made online to collection in IBD partner stores.
The move follows Specialized’s Click & Collect trial in the UK, announced last November.
Customers will have the option to purchase both bikes and equipment through Specialized’s website and select which retailer will receive the order in store for pick-up. According to Specialized, this is the next part of the brand’s Integrated Marketplace Strategy.
Jeff McGuane, USA Market Leader, said: “Today, with over 50% of the purchase journeys initiated online, we have to evolve and adapt the ways we work together with our retailers to serve the rider. Over the past three years, we have invested significantly into technologies that enable our marketing to drive more riders into our retailer’s doors.”
The first part of the strategy was implemented in January 2017 with the launch of S-connect & Find Nearby, which allowed riders to view a retailer’s inventory directly through Specialized.com. Since its launch, the initiative has had over two million users. Specialized believes the addition of Click & Collect will further drive customers to its IBD partner stores.
Charles Bisaillon, Global Sales Operations Leader at Specialized, said: “Our rider-facing market is the strongest it has ever been, and the ability to offer the rider the convenient option to ‘buy now, pick up in-store’ alongside Find Nearby will deliver more convenience to the rider resulting in a seamless experience.”
Alongside investments in brand and innovation, the cornerstone of Specialized’s Integrated Marketplace Strategy will be maintaining a strong working relationship with retail partners, while over the next year the brand will continue to invest in new digital solutions to create new leads for its retail partners.
McGuane added: “Ultimately, our desire is to earn the position of brand of choice and for our retailers to think of Specialized as the growth platform for their business.”
