With road restrictions in place during the Olympic Games, many London-based retail companies are asking some of their staff to work from home to ease congestion on public transport. What impact will the Games have on online shopping?
The 2012 Olympic Games will run until August 12. During this period, it is expected that there will be a sharp rise in online shopping as consumers work from home. For those without tickets to the Games, and watching the events on television, web-based grocery shopping may be the preferred option to battling congested road lanes and crowded public transport to stock up on food and drinks.
However, road restrictions may have an impact on the prompt delivery of some orders. London and the South East is expected to be most affected by road restrictions; this is the area that accounts for 30 per cent of all UK eCommerce orders.
IMRG, the UK’s industry association for e-retail, recommends taking the following steps to ensure you get your order promptly during the Olympic Games:
1. Place your order in plenty of time – with traffic restrictions and congestion expected, delivery drivers may struggle to make as many deliveries as they usually do in a normal working day.
– Make sure there is someone in to receive your order – delays and backlogs can be made worse if drivers can’t deliver because they’ve been unable to unload deliveries: this will give them more deliveries to complete in the following days.
– Select a delivery address where you know you will be. The areas affected by traffic congestion will change from day to day; find out what events are on and what restrictions there will be.
– Choose an alternative delivery location if it is easier for you to collect the order there outside of the restricted hours.
– Think about using ‘Click & Collect’ – you can pick up your order at the retailer’s local outlet.
– If you request the order be delivered to your home address, take note that some may arrive outside of ‘normal hours’; drivers may try to avoid congestion and restrictions in this way.
2. A tracked service allows you to go online and check the status of your order.
3. Bear in mind that just because there may not be restrictions in your immediate area on any of the days the Games are on, your order my still be delayed in getting to you – carriers may be very busy, the local delivery depot may be in a restricted area or the drivers may have to come through restricted areas.
© Profitero 2012
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