The Doddle network is expanding and in this case the development comes by deepening its relationship with Debenhams. Crucially, the expansion means that UK shoppers will be able to collect and return parcels from over 50 Doddle retail partners including ASOS, Amazon, Missguided and Wiggle at any Debenhams store. And it also expands the number of locations where shoppers can choose to have their online purchases delivered to.
The Doddle click & collect service is currently available in 50 Debenhams stores but it has been revealed that it will be rolled out across Debenhams full network of 165 UK stores and the majority will be operational by the spring of 2019.
Over the past few months during the trial, they say that 150,000 customers chose a Debenhams store to make a collection or return. This was good news for Debenhams because apparently 30% went on to make an additional in-store purchase and Debenhams say that of those surveyed, 40% had never shopped there before. Doodle-related footfall turned into Debenham sales.
This partnership is the ultimate win-win. It enables us to offer the convenience led UK omni-channel shopper an ever-greater number of high profile, convenient and trusted locations to collect and return parcels at and enables Debenhams to attract a high spending new demographic into its stores. The conversion of that footfall into such meaningful sales during the trial period demonstrates the crucial role Click & Collect services like ours can play during this critical time for the UK high street.
– Tim Robinson, CEO, Doddle.
Don’t forget that Doddle has also done a deal with Morrison’s supermarket along similar lines. So, combined with the Debenhams arrangement, the Doddle network has expanded considerably. These partnerships make enormous sense and are preferable to taking on expensive premises in or near railway stations or key retail areas. And importantly they are a good way too of invigorating the high street by knitting it closely to online retail.
