Are you tired of driving for an hour just to get your groceries? Then you realize you forgot to grab some of your favorite chips and condiments once you're home.
Or what if you really need to use a product? You'll have to wait three days for it to be delivered.
These are just some hurdles we can experience with physical and online shopping.
But hear me out. Physical and online shopping is great... but sometimes, we all experience some inconveniences because of our personal circumstances.
But what if I tell you that you can solve the same problem for your customers?
Yep, you read that right. You can solve it by mixing these two!
It's called BOPIS retail or Buy Online Pick In Store.
Does this sound new to you? You don't have to worry.
Because this blog will cover...
- What is BOPIS?
- What are some pros and cons of BOPIS retail?
- How does BOPIS work for businesses?
- 5 prominent examples of businesses with BOPIS solutions.
Sounds exciting? Let's get started.
What is BOPIS?
BOPIS stands for "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store," a retail strategy allowing customers to purchase items online and collect them at a physical store location.
You can do your shopping online at home. Then you can pick up the things in-store.
This means your customers can browse your online store and place their orders. Then once their orders are ready, they can pick up their products at your physical store.
BOPIS retail is perfect for businesses with physical stores but is expanding online.
Since digital transformation is booming, giving your customers the option to order online and pick them up at your store is a great start.
Do you think BOPIS is the next thing you want for your store? Then take note of the following pros and cons.
What are the pros and cons of BOPIS retail?
Let's start with...
Pros or Benefits of BOPIS Retail
You and your customers can benefit from BOPIS because they will have...
1. No shipping and delivery expenses
You might need to spend on shipping and delivery from your supplier to your physical store, but your customers wouldn't have to pay for these.
Because they're the ones who'll pick up their orders at your physical store.
They don't have to wait for a few days and have no shipping fee. That's probably one of the reasons why in 2020, BOPIS retail made up almost 10% of eCommerce sales in the US!
2. More convenient shopping experience
Since BOPIS is a mix of digital commerce and brick-and-mortar, your customers can have a more convenient shopping experience.
They can do everything at home before driving through your store and picking up their orders. If they notice an item is missing or something is wrong with their orders, they can quickly return them and get a refund.
So, if you want to give your customers a more seamless shopping experience... BOPIS retail can help.
3. Faster Transaction
No shipping and delivery cost? No waiting in line? Yep, BOPIS retail can offer these to customers.
They don't have to wait for days after placing an order in your app or eCommerce website.
They also don't need to stroll around your physical store to grab your products... which is a plus point for customers who want to stay extra safe because of the pandemic.
Now, let's talk about the...
Cons of BOPIS retail
1. Some customers prefer comfort
If you aren't offering a fully-fledged delivery service for your products yet... this might be a problem.
There are still customers who don't want to grab their keys and drive to your retail store. Also, if your brick-and-mortar store location is too far for them.
So, they might go to your competitors who have delivery options.
2. There are other expenses to make BOPIS retail successful
Your customers don't need to pay for shipping and delivery.
But it will cost your business to implement your BOPIS retail strategy successfully.
For example, the service and time of your store associates. Instead of doing other things or assisting other physical shoppers, they might need to spend time getting and packing the online orders.
They also need to ensure the process is smooth by creating an omnichannel strategy, which also requires some investment in tools.
But don't get discouraged! It doesn't mean that in-store pickup is not a great idea.
It just means that you need to be more strategic about implementing it.
Since you already know some of the pros and cons of having an in-store pickup option, let's talk about...
How does BOPIS work?
Before we discuss the process, here are two things you need to have:
- A physical or local store that serves as a pickup location.
- An eCommerce website where the customer shops online before pickup.
Once you have these, here are the usual steps for major retailers that allow order online pickup in-store:
➡️ Online shoppers need to place their orders on your website.
They first need to buy online and place their orders.
So, your eCommerce website must list all the available products they can purchase online.
If you have multiple store locations, let them choose where they want to pick up their orders.
Also, ensure that your website and physical store's inventory are integrated. Then give them an order confirmation.
After placing their orders...
➡️ Fulfill their orders
Grab and pack their orders. Make sure everything is complete before you notify them.
Once you're done...
➡️ Notify that the order is ready for pickup
You can send them notifications through SMS, email, website, or your app.
The pickup process should be convenient so as not to defeat the purpose of BOPIS.
Now that you know how BOPIS works, let's see some examples of big brands and online retailers that allow customers to buy online pickup in-store.
5 Businesses that are implementing BOPIS
It's time to learn from these major retailers!
1. Walmart
Walmart is a huge retail corporation that sells a wide range of products.
Walmart offers pickup and delivery options. For pickup options, customers can choose curbside or in-store pickup.
Curbside pickup means customers don't have to leave their cars to get their orders. It means that the store associate will bring the orders to their vehicle.
In-store pickup requires customers to get their products in-store.
Online shoppers can also select a time to pick up the products and the nearest store.
Their pickup option allows customers to stock up on their groceries without physically shopping.
Another business is...
2. Macy's
Need some last-minute shopping? 👀 Macy's got your back.
Customers can get their in-stock items in 2 hours through the in-store pickup option.
Learn from Macy's if you're offering a BOPIS option in your business.
What you can learn from Macy's is emphasizing how quick it is for customers to pick up their orders.
Who wants to wait for at least 2 days before they can pick up their orders, right? This is an effective way to entice potential customers into buying their products.
The next example we have is...
3. Chipotle
Chipotle's pickup option is for hungry customers who don't want to order and line up during rush hour.
Since Chipotle has a lot of stores nationwide, they first need to track the location of the potential customer.
Then the available Chipotle stores will pop up, and customers can choose where they want to pick their orders up.
They make sure to include a link to Google Maps whenever a customer clicks the "Directions" option. You can also see the opening hours.
The next store is...
4. Kohl's
Kohl's is another major retailer that utilizes BOPIS.
As you can see, there is a big "Fast & Free Store Pickup" option when you scroll down on their website. They emphasized "Fast & Free."
This is also an enticing way to encourage customers to buy from their store. They just have to choose the products and place their orders.
It's fast and free, and they don't need to buy the products themselves.
And last but not least...
5. Best Buy
Best Buy allows pickup in-store or curbside pickup.
Customers can pick up their products within 5 days with the pickup option.
As you can see on their curbside pickup page, they emphasized that it's contactless. And this is perfect for customers who want to avoid interacting with others for health and safety reasons.
They also detailed the process in 3 steps, which also seems very convenient.
If you're still hesitant about whether or not you should leverage curbside and in-store pickup for your business... you need to know that...
BOPIS retail is here to stay!
Buy Online Pickup In-Store is a smart way to persuade customers to buy from your eCommerce store.
The good thing about BOPIS is it gives customers a choice. They can shop physically, order online, and wait for the delivery... or place an online order, then drive to a physical store to pick up the products.
Consumers love choices that align with what's currently convenient for them.
Because of how convenient it is, more and more people are buying from businesses that offer BOPIS solutions.
And now that everybody needs to take safety precautions to avoid health problems, it's more useful than ever.
But before you hop on, ensure that your inventory management system, eCommerce website, and physical store are well-integrated.
So, make sure to read...
