The opening of a House of Fraser.com store in Aberdeen’s Union Square is certainly a departure from department store norms, but is this still shopping?

I may have seen the future of retail and it might just be called House of Fraser.com.

On Friday, the House of Fraser opened what it says is the UK’s first click and collect store – a place where the shopping experience consists of banks of interactive screens, iPods and computers, and where there is stock and associated visual merchandising, it’s just not for sale.

In this modestly-sized space, around 1500 sq ft (very much smaller than a normal 100,000 sq ft HoF), customers can browse the HoF website and make an online purchase, which will then be delivered the next day to the store or the shopper’s home.  You even get a free cup of coffee while you go through the process.

Obviously this is a win win for Aberdonians. They get the chance to peruse the retailer’s offer at leisure, albeit at an electronic distance, and for House of Fraser, this is the chance to show what it is made of, without the expense of a massive emporium. Sounds great and a second branch will open in Liverpool One next month.

There is just one small matter. What about the business of instant gratification? For those choosing to shop online in the store, walking out with a garment or some such, is not an option. The majority of what you find in a department store tends to fall into the discretionary purchase category – very little of the proposition could readily be described as necessary.

With this in mind, the element that is missing from the Aberdeen store is the chance to drift from display to display, enjoying the very physical business of browsing – it’s what shopping at this level should be about. In fairness, a quick shimmy through the HOF website, recently redesigned, reveals a functional and fashion-led series of images, which might put those in the mood for style to reach for the plastic. It is also worth noting that if you opt to collect in-store, there are fitting rooms so that you can test drive the merchandise that has been delivered before heading for home.  

But what about in-store inspiration while shopping with a bunch of friends? Maybe this is an old-fashioned view and certainly in-store technology is gaining traction, but does the Aberdeen experience add up to an enjoyable shopping trip and is this still a shop in the traditionally understood sense? The jury and House of Fraser are probably still out on this, but post-Christmas we’ll know the answer and if it’s a thumbs up, HOF has 10-15 more of these that it would like to open.  

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