From 31 July onwards, consumers will be charged to use John Lewis' click and collect service on any orders under £30.
The scheme previously enabled customers to collect items from the retailer's website from any John Lewis, Waitrose or designated Collect Plus outlet at no additional cost. From August 2015 onwards customers will have to pay a £2 charge for the service, unless they are spending more than £30. Customers placing orders above the threshold will still be able to use the service free of charge.
John Lewis said the change is due to logistical problems associated with dispatching small, inexpensive items – such as cosmetics. Andy Street, Managing Director at the retailer, said: "We are sure customers will understand why we are doing this. There is a huge logistical operation behind this system and quite frankly it's unsustainable."
The new comes as click and collect services are becoming more popular, with 56% of John Lewis' online customers opting to use the service instead of having products delivered. According to YouGov, 39% of online shoppers overall chose this option during the Christmas period last year and 61% of these consumers cited delivery charges as their biggest motivation. Greater convenience was also a significant factor, with 53% of those surveyed citing this as a reason to choose click and collect.
Other retailers could follow suit as stores start to plan ahead for Christmas 2015. Street added: "We consider ourselves to be leaders and we want to take the lead on this."
