Click and collect has become a default way to shop, but the part that decides whether it pays off is the handover. A staffed collection desk turns every order into a person walking to a back room, finding the right parcel, and checking the customer off by hand. A click and collect locker removes that step. The order sits in a secure compartment, the customer collects it themselves, and the software keeps the record. This is what we mean by automated collections and returns: the deposit and the collection happen without a colleague there to run them.
What is a click and collect locker?
A click and collect locker is a bank of secure compartments that holds online or in-store orders until the customer collects them. Instead of a member of staff handing the order over at a desk, the customer opens a single door themselves using a one-time code or a mobile journey. The compartment keeps the order safe and out of sight, and the software behind it records who collected what, and when.
It is worth being clear about where the value sits. The cabinet matters, but it is the smaller part. What turns a row of lockers into a collection point is the software layer that tracks every deposit and collection automatically. A traditional pigeonhole tells you nothing once the order goes in. A click and collect locker leaves an audit trail you can report on.
How click and collect lockers work, step by step
The workflow is short by design. Most click and collect locker systems follow the same four steps:
- Deposit. A colleague picks the order and places it in an available locker. They scan the order, the system assigns a door, and the compartment locks.
- Notify. The customer gets a notification, by text or email, telling them the order is ready and how to open the door.
- Collect. The customer goes to the locker, confirms access with a one-time code or a two-factor mobile journey, and the right door releases. No queue, no desk.
- Log. The moment the door closes, the collection is recorded against the order, so the audit trail is complete at both ends.
Because the locker, not a person, runs the handover, collections can happen at any hour the store is open, and they do not pull staff off the shop floor at the busiest times of day.
The technology behind a click and collect locker
A click and collect locker has a few core parts working together, and each one earns its place:
- The compartment. A secure, sturdy door that takes daily use and keeps the order out of sight until collection.
- The smart lock. A lock that only releases after access is confirmed, with AES encryption between the locks.
- Connectivity. A module that ties each unit to the network and to the mobile journey the customer uses to collect.
- The software. The part that assigns doors, sends notifications, reads every event, and feeds your reporting and any wider systems.
Access is the detail that decides how smooth the experience feels. eLocker collections use a two-factor mobile journey, so there is no app to install, no PIN to forget, and no key to lose. For colleague-facing handovers, the same locker can open with the badge technology you already run.
What click and collect lockers do for retailers
The case for a locker is usually a cost-to-serve case. When you take the manual handover out of click and collect, a few numbers move in your favour, and these are the ones worth measuring before and after a pilot:
- Cost per collection. Self-service removes the staff minutes spent retrieving orders and checking customers off.
- Desk dwell time and queues. Customers collect in seconds without waiting for a free colleague.
- Failed and mismatched collections. Access is tied to the order, so the wrong parcel is far harder to hand out.
- Back-room space. A structured bank of lockers holds more orders in less room than shelves of loose parcels.
Rather than quote a single figure, the honest answer is that the saving depends on your collection volume and how much staff time each handover takes today. That is exactly what a measured pilot is for: it gives you a before-and-after on your own numbers that you can put in front of finance.
What click and collect lockers do for the customer
For the customer, the appeal is simple. Collection is available whenever the store is open, there is no queue at a desk, and the handover is contactless. They get a notification the moment the order is ready, they collect in under a minute, and they are on their way. A smoother collection is not a soft benefit either: a quick, reliable pick-up is part of whether someone chooses click and collect again.
Click and collect lockers vs a manual collection desk
A staffed desk works until it is busy, which is precisely when collections matter most. At peak, the desk becomes a queue, orders pile up on shelves, and a colleague is tied to the handover instead of serving the floor. A click and collect locker holds steady through the same peak: every order has a door, every collection is self-service, and the record keeps itself. The desk relies on someone being free; the locker does not.
Where click and collect lockers are used
The same workflow flexes to fit the store format. The pattern, a deposit, a self-service collection and a record of both, stays constant; the hardware changes to match what is being collected:
- High street and fashion. Fast, contactless collection that keeps colleagues on the floor and selling.
- Grocery. Ambient, chilled and frozen compartments side by side, so a full shop can be collected from one bank.
- DIY and trade. Quick trade collections and handover of bulky orders without holding up the counter.
- High-volume FMCG. High-frequency collections and returns where every saved minute per order adds up across the estate.
The same hardware also handles the other half of the job. A bank of lockers can take self-service returns as a drop-off, logged the moment the door closes, so one install covers collections and returns together.
How eLocker approaches click and collect
We treat the locker as a means to an end, and the end is a collection that runs itself with a full audit trail behind it. The hardware can be new, or your existing lockers retrofitted with smart locks, so you are not forced to rip and replace. Access uses a two-factor mobile journey for customers and the badges your colleagues already carry, and the system is built to standards that hold up in regulated settings, with ISO 27001 documented security. Because every door reports back, you get the usage data to find quiet units, reclaim space, and prove what the workflow costs and saves.
If you want the full product picture, the retail click and collect page covers the journey and the hardware, and the wider collections and returns ecosystem shows how the same platform extends across returns, asset handovers and IT kit as you grow. For the foundations, our explainer on what a smart locker is is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Are click and collect lockers secure?
Yes. Each door stays locked until access is confirmed, every open and close is logged with a timestamp, and the locks use AES encryption with ISO 27001 documented security. The order is held in a sealed compartment, not on an open shelf behind the desk.
How does a customer open a click and collect locker?
The customer gets a notification when the order is deposited, then opens the door with a two-factor mobile journey or a one-time code. There is no app to install and no member of staff to find.
Can click and collect lockers be retrofitted to existing lockers?
Yes. eLocker can fit smart locks and software to lockers you already own, so you do not have to replace the hardware to run a click and collect workflow.
Do click and collect lockers work for chilled or frozen grocery?
Yes. Temperature-controlled compartments hold chilled and frozen orders securely until collection, which is why grocery click and collect often runs ambient, chilled and frozen lockers side by side.
Can returns go through the same lockers?
Yes. The same bank of lockers can take self-service returns as a drop-off, with the return logged the moment the door closes, so one set of hardware covers both collections and returns.
