Convenience, security, and flexibility are all reasons why customers prefer BOPIS or In-Store Pickup. But why else should you embrace it?

Customers choose to embrace buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) for their online purchases for a variety of reasons, particularly around the holidays: 

• No costs – Saves money they can otherwise spend on something else
• More security  – Less risk of porch pirates or items being “lost in transit”
• Flexibility – Desires to choose a date and time for pickup that fits their busy schedule
• Faster – Accessibility to same-day or quicker collection, even if a holiday is days away

U.S. BOPIS retail sales totaled $113.19 billion in 2023, accounting for 10.1% of e-commerce sales.

In other words, BOPIS or Store Pickup is top of mind for a significant portion of online shoppers and is expected to grow in the near future.

Why More Retailers Are Offering Click and Collect

Aside from making customers happy, retailers have many incentives for offering in store pickup.

Foot Traffic

By offering store pickup you get more shoppers visiting your store. 85% of U.S. BOPIS shoppers have made an additional purchase when they went to the store to collect an order. That means greater AOV for you.

Customer Service

Further, BOPIS provides retailers with more opportunities to interact with a shopper, allowing for a richer customer journey. 

Interacting with employees at brick-and-mortar locations allows your buyers to engage with the brand. The advice and recommendations your employees offer create a more personalized experience.

Product Upsell

Aside from the in-store experience, BOPIS is a chance for retailers to market and upsell by offering coupons, discounts, and recommendations via text or email.

COPUS

Click and collect can also lead to COPUS – which stands for “customize online, pickup in store.” Yankee Candle, for example, allows customers to pick their candle’s scent and design online before picking it up in-store.

Grow Customers

BOPIS sales grew 54% in the last 3 years. Grow your customer base by giving them more options. Plus, achieve growth amongst a young demographic: Millenials and Gen Z are the biggest BOPIS users, making up 39% and 36%, respectively, of all BOPIS users.

Pitfalls of BOPIS

A successful BOPIS strategy relies on three key factors. If you don’t have systems in place to ensure the following, your customer’s in-store pickup experience can be less than satisfying.

1. Out of stock items

Because customers use BOPIS to ensure an item is in stock, it’s vital to manage your inventory down to the exact quantity.

Otherwise, your customer may purchase an item that you can’t fulfill. 

2. Increased Staffing Costs

As stores fill with shoppers and online orders surge, retailers face a tough balancing act. BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store) can reduce shipping expenses, but the savings may quickly diminish if additional staff are needed to manage the influx.

This could lead to higher costs or a compromised in-store experience, negating the benefits of store pickup.

3. Long Pickup Lines

Customers expect picking up in-store to be easy.

If they still face long pickup lines or can’t find an employee who can answer their questions, their customer experience may leave them with a bad taste in their mouth about your brand.

As more and more customers come to expect the option to pick up goods in person, retailers will need to tighten up and streamline the in-store aspect of the BOPIS experience. 

How ShipperHQ Powers In-Store Pickup for eCommerce 

ShipperHQ makes it simple for retailers to enable in-store pickup. As with all of our features, BOPIS is highly customizable to fit your needs. We offer:

• Multi-location support: Display multiple pickup locations to customers or limit which pickup locations customers see based on distance.
• Make it Easy for Customers to Find You: Show customers a map of the exact pickup location at checkout via Google Maps (available for Adobe Commerce and Magento).
• Show Store Hours: Set expectations by displaying when items are available for pickup based on store hours. 
• Set Pickup Dates and Times: Allow shoppers to select a pickup date and time slot. Available for Adobe Commerce, Magento, & Zoey.
• Alternative Pickup Options: Don’t have a brick and mortar presence? Or is your presence limited? No worries. ShipperHQ also allows you to ship items to UPS Access Points or FedEx HAL (Hold at Location) lockers. This gives your customers the convenience of BOPIS even when they can’t actually visit you in-store.

ShipperHQ also allows you to “ship from store” by setting up multiple origins in your account. This can cut down on shipping costs by treating your retail store as another fulfillment hub.

No matter your business’s shipping strategy, ShipperHQ allows you to offer a store pickup option at checkout. 

Are you ready to jump on the BOPIS train? Sign up for a free 15-day trial of ShipperHQ to start giving your customers more convenient options at checkout.