AN innovative new method of shopping is aimed at attracting more business to traditional Huddersfield shops.
Queensgate Market’s stallholders have joined the growing number of retailers offering the opportunity to select goods online, reserve them and collect them in person later that day.
The Click and Collect project is now a familiar process at many catalogue shops to supermarkets, but the Queensgate scheme is thought to be one of the first introduced in a market.
It allows people to shop from their homes or workplaces and arrange to pick up goods at a convenient time.
More than a quarter of the 85 businesses in Queensgate Market have signed up to the scheme and 17 are already up and running - listing their goods ready to reserve.
There is no obligation to buy and no payment is made when goods are reserved. Shoppers simply reserve the item and arrange a time to call in to pick it up.
A change of heart is no problem, but if a buyer decides to go through with the order its guaranteed that the reserved goods will be ready to collect.
Clr Peter McBride, Kirklees Council Cabinet member for regeneration said: “There are lots of people working in the town centre that would love to support our local markets and local stallholders but are worried about having time to browse at lunchtime.
“With this, you can pre-order what you want and then pop into the market and collect everything up in no time. It’s a great initiative for the market.”
A number of the stallholders are offering discounts for using the click and collect service. Lincolns Florist has 12 flower arrangements to reserve online, and all are discounted when reserving in advance on click and collect.
Click and Collect is also available at more than 14 other town centre shops and businesses.
For more details visit www.yourhighstreetdirect.com
