Clicks And Mortar.

The great benefit of online retailing is that you order at your convenience and the product is delivered to your door (except when you're not in of course). Right?

So what's going on at consumer electronics retailer Circuit City where 62% of their online business is collected by the customer from their local store. Not only does that save on delivery cost, it also means that their customers are back in their aisles, so it's no wonder that the service (started in 1999 when the end of bricks and mortar was predicted) is spreading to retailers in other sectors.

Their Express In-Store Pickup guarantees you a $24 gift voucher if you don't get your item within 24 minutes and they rarely hand out any vouchers, but I hardly imagine that's the reason. It's just a reminder that convenience, like every other service attribute is defined by your customer and not by you.