Skip to main content

Buy Online, Pickup in Store

A National Retail Federation study on Consumer Views in late October 2019 revealed that70% of the survey participants would pay for a Buy-online, pick-up-in-store service (BOPIS).
BOPIS has emerged as a convenient option not only for consumers but retailers that invested in brick-and-mortar stores. Growth in online retail sales was overtaking traditional brick-and-mortar retail before the pandemic and BOPIS was being adopted by top retailers. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, a Digital Commerce 360 survey in late 2020 showed results that 43.7% of the top 500 retailers with physical stores were offering BOPIS — up from 6.9% before the pandemic started. BOPIS, also known as click-and-collect or curbside- pickup provides a safe, contact-free way to shop online and pick up the ordered items.

In order to implement BOPIS, a retailer needs to implement the following tools:

1) A website or app where customers can shop and place orders for the products online
2) A brick-and-mortar location where customers can pick up the products ordered. The physical location can be a storefront or warehouse and can be delivered in a package to a customer in a designated drop-off area outside the location. A storefront is more advantageous as it can entice an online buyer to peruse and buy more products inside the physical store. 67% of shoppers using BOPIS buy additional items, according to a survey conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers.
3) A real-time integrated inventory management system that can update both the retailer and consumers the current availability of a product across locations, physical or digital and schedule pick-up.

The benefits of BOPIS for customers and retailers are evident.

1) Instead of waiting for delivery of the product which can be queued with other outbound orders, customers can pick up their orders immediately after buying their order. In the US and Canada, last-mile delivery still poses a challenge for retailers and customers, either being expensive or time-consuming. BOPIS offers a convenient and quicker option for the customer, helping retailers to provide a simpler and smoother customer experience.
2) Picking up from a physical location result in reduced prices as customers do not have to pay for extra shipping. Retailers do not have to invest in logistics infrastructure or find logistics providers.
3) BOPIS also lets returns or exchanges be quicker. Customers do not have to pay for return shipping if any, or wait for a long time for refunds or exchanged products. Customers can directly return or exchange the product/s at the physical location.


An additional benefit for the retailer is that they can use existing physical store locations as fulfillment centers. Real estate prices are prone to appreciation it has been observed In North America that there has been a drop in mall visitors over the past few decades.

Many brick-and-mortar retail giants, such as Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Petco, have adopted best practices in online retail, including implementing BOPIS as a convenient option for the customers. Conversely, online retailers or direct-to-consumer brands are opening physical stores to strengthen the consumer community, offer BOPIS and improve customer fulfillment. In May 2022, Amazon opened its first physical retail fashion store. Amazon has been opening physical stores since 2015 with a bookstore and then its acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017. But the recent opening confirms that brick-and-mortar stores will grow after COVID 19 and will be important in retail strategy.

The critical success factor for BOPIS is an integrated real-time inventory system across physical locations and digital stores. 58% of customers prefer flexible, blended shipping options, according to The Future of Commerce Trends Report 2022. Successful implementation of BOPIS results in delivering a consistent omnichannel retail experience for the customer.

Comments

Popular Posts

Influencer Marketing in E-commerce Strategy

  Influencer marketing is not a new concept in advertising. Before the rise of the internet, celebrities and sportspersons endorsed brands through traditional advertising mediums (TV, news, magazines). Social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat, on the internet now allow influencers to directly connect with the core audience. Additionally, the platforms have given opportunities to other people, also known as micro-influencers. Today, 9 out of 10 brands utilize influencer marketing to reach their target consumers and the ROI on using influencer marketing has proven to be more effective, generating $18 for $1 spent. With 7.9 million retailers vying for online consumers, influencer marketing has become a core part of digital marketing strategy. Who or what are Influencers? It’s not possible for upcoming brands to partner with A-list celebrity influencers such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kim Kardashian, o...

Customer Retention Strategies for E-Commerce

Customer Retention Strategies for E-Commerce Gone are the days of Henry Ford when he said, “You can have any color so long as it’s black” . Retaining customers is an important aspect of e-commerce strategy as customer acquisition costs increase with new e-retailers crowding the market and vying for the attention of online customers. According to Smallbusinessgenius.net ,  65% of a company’s business comes from existing customers, and increasing customer retention by just 5% boosts profits by 25% to 95% . 82% of companies surveyed agree that retention is cheaper than acquisition. Customer retention strategy , of course, depends on the lifecycle of the brand or online retailer’s platform. At the early and growth stage in a lifecycle, businesses are likely to focus on customer acquisition as the brand or reputation needs to be built among consumers. But a foundation for customer retention strategy needs to be developed in order to maintain consistency with the target audience over a ...

Search This Blog