Westfield Direct launched to offer click and collect and home delivery

Westfield has launched a new game-changing shopping service to upset rivals and is set to help Aussies overcome delays with Australia Post.

Exclusive: ONE of Australia’s biggest shopping centre chains has launched a new service allowing customers to buy online from its multiple stores in a single transaction.

Westfield’s new multi-retailer click and collect service does away with the need for shoppers to buy items through individual stores — and will help them navigate lengthy and frustrating online delivery wait times.

Purchases through “Westfield Direct” will be available for pick-up in 1-5 business days.

For those not wanting to set foot in a bricks and mortar centre, home delivery can be arranged within 10 business days, with the added advantage of the shopper being able to tap into any store across Australia.

Westfield has unveiled its new Westfield Direct click and collect and home delivery service. Picture: Westfield

Consumers can shop from multiple Westfield retailers online in the one order, and either pick-up the items – or have them delivered. Picture: Westfield

Westfield Direct spans more than 100 retailers including fashion brands Cue, General Pants, MJ Bale, Gorman, Ted Baker and Sportscraft, as well as beauty retailers Aesop and L’Occitane.

Homewares stores House, Wheel & Barrow and Habitania are also involved. Via the service, shoppers can browse curated collections, visit a business’ “virtual storefront”, and search for products before placing an order from multiple retailers – at once.

Phil McAveety, chief customer and business development officer for Westfield’s parent company Scentre Group, said Westfield Direct would offer shoppers “more convenience, flexibility and choice” in the lead up to the busy Christmas retail season.

Australian fashion retailer Cue is among the 100 stores involved in Westfield Direct, Picture: Cue via Instagram

“Westfield Direct provides our business partners with the opportunity to increase the productivity of their physical store networks while alleviating the time-intensive and costly process of fulfilling and delivering orders,” McAveety said in a statement.

He said it would boost for smaller retailers who didn’t have their own e-commerce setups.

“Westfield Direct presents a significant growth opportunity for our SME retail partners, many of whom only have one or two physical stores with us and no online presence,” he said.

At a logistic level, each Westfield will operate a dedicated Westfield Direct distribution hub – facilitating “inter-centre and interstate product transfers”.

“Westfield handles the end-to-end experience, including order fulfilment logistics, last mile delivery and customer service,” McAveety said.

Cue executive director Melanie Levis said shoppers could browse and buy items “anywhere, anytime” as part of Westfield Direct.

“Westfield Direct builds on our broader retail strategy and allows us to connect with more customers, including those that may not live close to where our stores are located,” Ms Levis said.

“Just like visiting our physical stores, customers can now visit our digital store front, browse our latest collection and shop.”

Westfield’s parent company Scentre Group is bracing for a busy Christmas shopping season. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Steven Saphore

Ms Levis said it would add “convenience and flexibility” for shoppers, while increasing “our capacity to make sales and broadens our reach (and) exposure across the Westfield network”.

Westfield Direct will operate at 37 of Westfield’s shopping centres across Australia via westfield.com.au. The retail giant said its Westfield Plus members would receive a 10 per cent “reward credit” on their purchase when they ordered via click and collect.

It has been a booming year for Scentre Group so far, which recorded a 28 per cent increase in its half-yearly profit for the six months to June 30.
The group – which owns and operates 42 Westfields in Australia and New Zealand – announced an operating profit of $460.1 million.

Scentre Group achieved a gross cash inflow of $1,383.9 million and a net operating cash surplus of $487.7 million in the six-month period.

Scentre Group shares closed down 0.66 per cent at $2.99 on Wednesday.

Originally published as Westfield Direct launched to offer click and collect and home delivery