Dropit's shop and drop technology could be the key to saving the high street

Karin Cabili’s Dropit start-up lets shoppers leave their purchases at multiple stores for a single delivery

A retail entrepreneur believes that fusing the best of online and traditional shopping experiences could help save the struggling high street.

Karin Cabili has created a “hands-free” hybrid of the two ways to shop but says that people still want the personal touch.

Her Dropit start-up, which uses an app, lets shoppers visiting 150 West End stores from Uniqlo to Jimmy Choo make multiple purchases and then leave their bags.

They are then collected and sent to a home for a £10 flat fee.

Ms Cabili said such technology could help breathe life into the high street. British Retail Consortium figures revealed nearly a fifth of retailers were planning to cut staff in the next three months as they suffer rising costs and a shift to buying online.

Ms Cabili believes fashion shoppers particularly prefer to complete purchases in a shop, despite being able to try on multiple items at home from internet giants such as Asos before sending them back.

Karin Cabili's DropIt app could save the high street.
Jeremy Selwyn

She said: “We know that 70 per cent of shoppers online have touched the product in the physical store beforehand so we need to develop that personal relationship through digital platforms.

“People still want the personal touch but with increased convenience. I think stores won’t disappear. We’re humans so we like to see and touch, and online doesn’t solve that.”

Hundreds of shoppers use Dropit weekly, which Ms Cabili said is handy for those who do not fancy battling the Oxford Street crowds after work or cannot face lugging multiple bags on a packed Tube.

Everything is controlled via the app. The process begins at the checkout and pictures of receipts are taken to ensure there is a record.

Once this is done, the items are secured inside a Dropit bag.

Ms Cabili said: “You can drop as many bags as you wish in different stores, and they will all be converted into one delivery. For £10 a day you can enjoy a hands-free shopping experience. You can drop bags from other shops to any shop in the network.”

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