Assignment task: V&A Waterfront introduces comfort and convenience to your shopping experience
With lockdown regulations slowly easing and more businesses and shops reopening, The V&A Waterfront pilots a click-and collects service to help with social distancing during Covid-19.
The V&A Waterfront has partnered with one of the country's leading click-and-collect service providers, as an alternative for its shoppers who would like to avoid queuing in shops but would still like to collect their goods.
This new offering allows customers to place orders online conveniently from the comfort of their homes and collect their parcels at the collection kiosk. Customers have the option of shopping online from multiple V&A Waterfront stores.
The collection point is situated at Entrance One of Victoria Wharf Shopping Centre (closest entrance to the Table Bay Hotel), with the kiosk being positioned just outside of Tasha's restaurant.
The V&A Waterfront said the new service is based on Pargo's smart logistics platform that offers innovative omni-channel logistics solutions through a tech-enabled network of pick-up points to enable a better shopping experience for its customers.
The retail mall is the first of its kind to introduce such innovation to shopping malls. The new easy-to-use service allows customers to place orders online with participating retail stores. Once they have placed their orders online, they will receive a notification when their parcel is ready for collection. All that's left to do is for customers to drive up to the brightly coloured kiosk, collect their package, and drive away. The service has been in operation from June 11 and is available until December 2020.
The best part of this genius innovation is that the entire process can be completed without customers leaving their cars.
Retail executive for V&A Waterfront Alex Kabalin said that he envisioned the click-and-collect service would be popular with shoppers as it gives them more control and choice over the delivery-end of the process. Particularly useful for anyone who has returned to working in an office.
Kabalin added; "They do not have to rush home for the delivery service or wait at the office, but can collect their shopping at a time that suits them. They can pre-order online during the day and then simply drive through to collect their conveniently packaged goods on their way home. The system will also be useful for busy parents who don't want to spend hours in stores with children."
Cape Union Mart, @Home, Fabiani, Foschini, Sportscene, Wizardz, Old Khaki, Keedo, Poetry, Totalsports, Markhams and G-star are the stores that are currently participating, with many more stores expected to be added over the next few weeks.
Customers will receive notifications via email and SMS throughout the order process, from placing the order online to the collection date and time. Customers can then collect at a time convenient to them. The collection kiosk is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
QUESTION: Educate staff and management of V&A Waterfront on different dynamics in Operations Management, by providing an evaluation of new trends in operations management and debate the differences between goods and services to enhance their understanding of operations in their line of business.