Online marketplace giant eBay is to launch a click-and-collect service as it continues to work on its customer service proposition.

The service will enable shoppers to buy products from a particular retailer on eBay and pick them up from one of the retailer’s stores, in the same way they would pick up an order made through the retailer’s own website.

EBay vice-president of UK trading Tanya Lawler said: “If a merchant can offer click-and-collect today it makes sense for us to enable them to offer that as a delivery option. If they offer it to core customers, why not to eBay customers?”

Lawler said the service was trialled last year and eBay is now looking at rolling it out more widely. It does not yet know when it will be launched and which retailers will be offering it.

She said: “Customers still like shops, and it brings back some of the humanity to the digital experience that perhaps wasn’t there before. It’s great for retailers, because it brings in footfall.

“For us at eBay, it’s a natural extension. It was trialled last year and we’re looking at our plans going forward.”

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