Jey Sivapalan’s ‘genius trick’ that turns parcel drop-offs into additional sales

Go Local Extra retailer Jey Sivapalan has seen a “drastic” change in customer purchasing behaviour since he built a designated parcel drop-off area.

Previously, parcel drop-offs were handled behind the counter. Now, after staff members scan and process the parcel for sending or returning, they direct customers to place their parcel in the drop box located at the back of the store. 

It encourages shoppers to walk past key categories resulting in increased browsing time and a higher likelihood of purchases, Jey told Convenience Store.

”Customers are buying better now and they’re buying more,” he explained. 

“As customers walk towards the drop-off area, they pass the wine and beer section, the hardware section and the free ATM. Sometimes they might go down one aisle to get to the parcel drop-off and then return down another aisle. They literally see most of the categories.”

A typical “rushed” customer would make extra time to purchase the product they encountered on their journey to drop off their parcel, explained Jey.

“If shoppers have time, I find they’ll check out our latest NPD and what offers we have on,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jey added that another benefit of the new system is it helps prevent staff from tripping up on parcels piling up behind the counter during busy periods.