NewStore’s omnichannel OMS modernizes fulfillment to maximize store productivity and get products to customers faster. BOPIS acronym — also known as click and collect and curbside pickup — stands for Buy Online, Pick Up In Store. With a BOPIS model, online shoppers don’t have to deal with any additional shipping costs, uncertain delivery times and undesirable returns of their online orders. BOPIS speeds order fulfillment, letting shoppers pick up their purchases much more quickly than if they were to opt for home delivery.

Technologies that enable retail and BOPIS strategies

• When every minute counts, slow time to market and manual product processes can spell lost revenue.
• According to an ICSC survey, over 50% of online shoppers use click & collect.
• In other words, online shoppers are looking for a shopping experience that offers as close to instant gratification as possible.
• Right now, the name of the game is convenience, and a major player is BOPIS.

If you don’t want to bother with managing delivery yourself, you can work with third-party delivery companies instead. Some delivery apps—DoorDash in particular—have been expanding into the retail space, with the added benefit of showcasing your store on an aggregated site (and as such exposing you to new customers). If you decide to manage local delivery in-house, you’ll need your own cars and scheduling system. You’ll need to designate employees that can serve as delivery drivers, and you may even need to hire new employees, depending on how often you’d like to make local delivery available. Because you won’t be contracting with another company, you might be able to offer local delivery for free, which will be attractive to customers. Setting up a buy online, return in store workflow isn’t much different from taking any other kind of return.

Benefits of BOPIS for customers

You’ll just need to make sure customers know to save their invoice from their shipment. You need to have a solid multi-channel fulfillment strategy that takes new shopper preferences into account. Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) order fulfillment methods have been around for a while, but the buzz increased exponentially in 2020, when customers couldn’t always come in store (but still wanted, and needed, to shop). Learn how this 2024 consumer study reveals the importance of integrating AI, virtual assistants, and AR/VR to improve shopping experiences. BOPIS provides the perfect solution, allowing shoppers to control the timeline of their purchases more closely.

It allows retailers to differentiate themselves and become more competitive. Ultimately, BOPIS empowers retailers to meet customer demands, lower shipping costs, and even up-sell/cross-sell products and services as shoppers enter the store. Retailers can also experience some difficulty in combining the online and in-store shopping experience. The inconvenience of running your payment method twice, or waiting in two lines, can sometimes offset the convenience that BOPIS is intended to provide. One of the most important BOPIS benefits is same-day order fulfillment.

• However, implementing this omnichannel sales option can pose challenges to retailers since it requires certain resources, including BOPIS software and personnel, to fulfill BOPIS orders.
• Powered by BOPIS technology, customers can browse and purchase items online and then pick up their orders at a local store, often within the same day.
• Don’t forget to give customers a way to specify where they want to pick up their order.
• What sets BOPIL apart from other shipping services that have emerged in recent years is that it represents a new type of fusion between a store’s online and physical storefronts.

BOPIS requires certain software, including eCommerce website software, POS software, inventory software, and marketing software to get the word out about your BOPIS program. This software needs to be smart enough to “talk to” each other and to do things like sync your BOPIS and in-store inventories and send customers notifications when their item is ready for pickup. For many customers, having a BOPIS option is an important part of their shopping decisions.

What you tell people you have available for same-day pickup must truly be available. And the first person to buy it online must be the one for whom it is earmarked. Customers disappointed by not receiving an item reported as in-stock may not return.

The evolution of mobile technology means modern beauty brands can now harness the power of innovation and adopt retail solutions that meet and surpass consumer expectations. BOPIS has a number of potential benefits for customers and retailers alike. Simply put, BOPIS is the acronym that stands for “Buy Online Pick-up in Store”. This method of fulfillment, while not a new concept, has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years,  particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, BOPIS use grew by 106% – and accounted for close to 10% of all ecommerce sales in the US that year. Customers no longer have to travel to a store for a specific item only to come out empty-handed.

Benefits of BOPIS for retailers:

Brick-and-mortar retailers have been steadily innovating their online storefronts and service offerings to make them a more integrated part of their customers’ shopping experience. As a matter of fact, BOPIS services were developed to give retailers an additional way to compete with fast-fulfillment eCommerce retailers, many of whom could ship items next-day to customers. In particular, this service benefits retailers who are not able to offer the same expedited, free shipping options that online retailers and logistics providers do, as the overhead costs often prove prohibitive. The customer shops for products either through your website or mobile app. However, when it’s time to check out, the shopper chooses “pick up in-store,” “store pickup,” or another similar variation, instead of delivery.

You could also plan an email campaign inviting shoppers to try out your BOPIS options with a discount, banking on how many BOPIS shoppers buy even more at pick up. To streamline order picking, use an app like Lightspeed Scanner to scan and update inventory as it’s being packaged for pickup. In other words, even when shoppers could more reliably shop in stores, they still chose BOPIS. Setting up a BOPIS system that works for your small business and your customers is key. A convoluted or confusing system might turn customers away, so take some time to think of implementation best practices. BOPIS also helps reduce packaging waste; since products aren’t at risk of damage due to rough handling, they don’t need to be packed in sturdy boxes with filler material.

Put another way, in-store pickup options allow brick-and-mortar retailers to offer a fast, free competitive shopping option without hurting their bottom line. As e-commerce continues to grow and customer expectations evolve, BOPIS has become an essential strategy for retailers looking to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping. By offering the convenience of online purchasing combined with the immediacy of in-store pickup, BOPIS provides a win-win solution for both customers and retailers. BOPIS strategy connects the online and in-person retail experiences – supporting a stronger omnichannel customer journey.

Customers’ Needs Are Changing – So Should You

Understanding its origins and significance in today’s retail space is vital for businesses looking to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market. The quirky acronym stands for ‘Buy Online, Pickup In-Store’, a shopping model where customers can purchase products from eCommerce sites and collect them from a store location once their order is ready. It strays away from the fuss you’d get with traditional online shopping, such as shipping costs, delayed deliveries, unmet expectations of bought goods, and other upsetting issues. BOPIS, or Buy Online, Pick-up In Store, is a retail strategy that has gained significant popularity in recent years. This omnichannel approach allows customers to shop online and then collect their purchases from a physical store location.

In this article, we will explore the meaning of what does bopis stand for BOPIS, how it works, its benefits for both customers and retailers and some real-world examples of successful BOPIS implementations. Some retailers are going even further by only offering pickup options at physical stores. A Kroger store in Cincinnati, for instance, has converted to pickup only due to the unprecedented surge it has seen in online orders, creating a location that it says is ideal for seniors and those at higher risk. And Best Buy recently announced that its stores would now operate for curbside pickup only, in addition to its online delivery services. While customer satisfaction is vital to success, so is reduced shipping costs, improved inventory management, and increased foot traffic in physical stores.

While the name of the game for BOPIS is greater convenience, it also significantly increases foot traffic within the store itself. This is a big boon to brick-and-mortar retailers who are looking to find effective methods for increasing the number of customers that are walking (and shopping) their aisles. By now, you’ve probably noticed many retailers offer a buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS) service. As an example, a department store offers a buy online pick up in store solution. As customers begin to use this new option for checkout, they enjoy the convenience that it provides.

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Customers have the convenience of online shopping and the immediate satisfaction of picking up their purchases without the wait. As we mentioned before, customers use this option to save time, so a speedy order handover at the customer service desk or through curbside pickup is required. For this to happen, enough staff needs to be there to fulfill all the orders on time, and they should be well trained on locating the order, tracking missing orders, and marking delivered order as “fulfilled”. Retail businesses can benefit from implementing BOPIS, as it represents a competitive advantage over other pure play online retail businesses, or other retailers who don’t present this fulfillment option to their customers. As we have seen, a big reason for customers choosing this fulfillment option is to save time and receive their orders the same day.