Smart lockers: click & collect boosts retail efficiency
The global smart locker market, valued at $3.63 billion in 2024, is projected to grow to $4.14 billion by the end of 2025, driven by advancements in IoT and AI technologies. One of the biggest growing use cases for smart lockers is click & collect, a solid tactic to increase retail potential. But is your business offering the best experience it could be for these valuable online customers? Smart storage lockers can help you create a seamless journey from digital to in-store.
Clearly, any reluctance towards online shopping in the UK has dissipated as click & collect and home delivery sales continue to rise. By the end of 2025, the value of click & collect orders in the UK is projected to surpass £30 billion, reflecting significant growth in this sector. In fact, the click & collect market is expected to account for nearly 11% of UK online retail sales by the end of 2025, outpacing overall online market growth.
But what do savvy customers expect from their in-store click & collect experience? It is certainly a better solution than queuing at a busy customer service desk or tracking down a retail assistant somewhere in-store.
Smart storage lockers are an efficient way to ensure the customer receives their goods in-store, on time, and on their terms. Implemented well, they can also become a platform to improve customer interaction, increase sales, and strengthen brand loyalty.
Challenging retail conditions have only accelerated the trend of creating a contactless and self-service experience. Retailers and other organisations must stay competitive to survive. Ricoh Smart Lockers could be the answer for businesses ready to rewrite the rules of the consumer environment.
A seamless customer experience with click and collect
Situated in-store, smart storage lockers offer a flexible fulfilment opportunity. They allow customers to cut queues with a clean conscience and pick up their purchases with no fuss.
The smart locker is powered by cloud technology and integrated with digital technology to support an efficient and easy buying journey. This includes the capability for customers to use keyless entry codes for collection, delivery, and collection notifications to provide clear communication without the involvement of a store assistant.
From a health and safety aspect, very few people need to come into face-to-face contact. It also cuts the costs of extra resources required to cater to the new click & collect demand.
For the retailer, all back-end system management can be undertaken remotely at a head office location. Furthermore, the locker can be programmed with existing digital infrastructure, granting access to all data relating to the customer, order details and collection process. It is even possible to link this in with stock levels and ordering systems to automate the back office.
Reconnect with your customers
The nuts and bolts of the buying journey do not just define a positive customer experience. It has to do with creating a feeling. Within a retail environment, click and collect storage lockers can strike an instant chord with your customers by communicating your brand and its values.
A storage locker unit can be finished in a bespoke design to support your brand identity. It can also be built in a configuration that suits the particular space available and customised to contain extra functions.
With customers back in your store, this could be the perfect opportunity to keep them there, strengthening brand loyalty and add-on sales simultaneously.
How click and collect can revive your presence
With town centres and shopping centres continuing to evolve, delivery lockers can be placed where retail brands no longer have a presence. Importantly, they’re suitable for indoor and outdoor settings. For customers who prefer a traditional outing to the shops, this can keep your business in the consumer psyche. Staying relevant should be part of any business strategy as the market becomes increasingly diverse and widely accessible.
The units are also entirely safe and secure. This means goods can be delivered safely and 24/7 collections facilitated, providing complete flexibility for the customer. Smart storage lockers also provide an alternative delivery location rather than a home address.
Providing a further layer of security, drop-off lockers can also be fitted with bespoke technology, like scales, to measure the weight of what’s been delivered. This ensures the retailer can track the location of goods and reconcile the service provided to the customer.
A solution for eCommerce-only retailers
While online sales are at an all-time high, not all eCommerce newcomers had the infrastructure to deliver a world-class customer experience when demand peaked. Direct-to-consumer brands have stood out from the crowd by offering custom packaging, but automated shipping and fulfilment should be the next target. Smart storage lockers pose this opportunity—Amazon has already quickly capitalised on self-service kiosks.
This is also true for couriers who want to streamline the process for managing missed deliveries. When goods cannot be delivered to a customer's home, many have already explored the use of smart storage locker technology. Yet many are still lagging behind, even though the competition is already making huge gains.
Find out more about smart lockers for click and collect
Smart Storage Lockers are undoubtedly worth exploring. Whether you are a retailer ready to innovate or a direct brand looking to amp up your delivery experience.
It is unlikely the industry will ever return to the ‘normal’ commonly referred to. We are much more likely to reemerge into high streets, shopping centres, and towns adapted to our new habits. Now is the moment to start thinking about how you can add that additional value to customers to keep them by your side, no matter what the future holds.
Click here to learn more about smart lockers, how they work and their potential applications.
