EBay is hoping the Argos tie-up will help it compete with Amazon
EBay, the e-commerce giant, has announced a "click-and-collect" tie-up with retail chain Argos, part of Home Retail Group.
The pilot scheme will allow shoppers to buy goods online from eBay and then pick them up from one of Argos's 150 participating stores.
At least 50 eBay merchants, including urban clothing retailer Superdry.com, will take part in the scheme.
The move may help eBay challenge Amazon's Locker delivery.
The Amazon scheme lets people order online then pick up their package from a growing number of secure passcode-protected lockers situated in local shops or other public venues.
Both Amazon, eBay and other online retailers are also involved in the separate Collect+ scheme, which allows parcels to be collected from participating corner shops, avoiding the risk of missing a delivery.
One retail analyst said more of these tie-ups could be expected.
"Pure-play home-delivery e-commerce can actually be profoundly inconvenient," Bryan Roberts, from the consultancy Kantar Research, told the BBC.
"There's nothing convenient about having to queue up at the post office for 30 minutes every Saturday morning.
"Workplace delivery is an option, but an increasing number of employers are getting frustrated with acting as e-retailers' unwilling fulfilment partners.
"So, it makes sense to forge a partnership with national retailers, and we'll see more of this because it marries the benefits of online shopping - competitive prices and massive ranges - with the convenience of the real-world store you can pop into on your way home."
Argos's "check-and-reserve" service has proved very popular with its customers
Argos has been expanding its own click-and-collect service, allowing shoppers to have an item held back that might be in short supply or ordered in if not in stock.
There is a risk that the eBay tie-up could cannibalise some of those sales, and Argos noted the tie-up was only a trial.
"Having pioneered check-and-reserve in the year 2000, it now accounts for around a third of our business and continues to grow," said the firm's managing director, John Walden.
"[EBay] is already a strong partner with Argos and a logical partner for the trial.
"We look forward to assessing the opportunity for Argos to provide fulfilment for eBay's merchants, including the operational requirements, attractiveness to sellers and consumers, and opportunity for increased customer footfall."
In May, Argos reported its first rise in annual sales in five years, largely thanks to online sales and the popularity of its "check and reserve" service.
Source: BBC News - Business http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24209788#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
