Introduction:
Today, people depend a lot on shopping online with the boom of e-commerce. Every household item, clothing, furniture, groceries, food and drinks, and kitchen supplies are delivered to your doorstep with just a few clicks. After the pandemic fiasco in 2020, people were quite skeptical about going to a brick-and-mortar store to buy daily items. That’s when online delivery apps rose to the occasion including Instamart, Doordash, Postmates, and a lot of other applications. Now we will read about In-Store Pickup Services in this article.
With the delivery services booming, it was quite feasible for people to simply add the products to the cart and order them digitally. But it came with an extra delivery fee, service fee, and tipping options. It got a little pricey for the common man to order food for delivery at home. While selecting the items at your own pace on the apps was quite viable, when compared with physical store shopping. Plenty of stores including retail giants like Walmart, Target, Bloomingdales, The Home Depot, and Best Buy offer in-store pickup services which help the customer to buy the products online but pick up the delivery at the store.
What is an In-Store Pickup Service?
In-Store pickup services refer to shopping online and picking up your order at the desired location or the actual store. You save a lot of time and effort by not roaming the aisles of the store or waiting in long queues for the payment. This service allows a convenient shopping experience for both the customers and retailers. The pickup service permits regular customers to use the e-commerce website and order the desired items. Stores that offer both online shopping and in-store shopping are granted to use this service for increasing their revenue. It is also referred to as Curbside Pickup Service or BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick-Up In-Store).
How Does In-Store Pickup Service Work?
In-store pickup services allow the customers for a convenient shopping experience. It can reduce the crowd in the physical stores which was a plus one at the time of covid. If you want to know the details on how the in-store pickup service works, here are a few guidelines that explain the process.
- Customers buy through the e-commerce store website/app.
Customers can purchase the products on the store app or website. They can select the desired items and add them to the cart and select the pick-up option that is available on the check-out page. The app or the website should have a user-friendly interface so that the customers find it easy to operate. The store will let you know when the order would be ready for pickup.
- Retailers carry out the order.
If the selected items are in stock, the store employees will gather the products and pack them for the checkout process. The store will give you regular updates via message or email about your order. When the order is ready, you can easily locate it and pick it up from the store.
If the selected items are not in stock at the local store, the store managers would pick up the items from another branch and inform you about the package. You can go to the store location to pick up your order.
- The customer picks up the package.
After your order is ready, the store will update you via the application and you can pull up to the store to pick up your order. Customers can also drive up to the store and ask for the curbside pickup where the staff will hand you the package while you wait in the car.
Benefits of In-Store Pickup Services:
There are numerous advantages to trying an in-store pickup service. It’s a great way where retail stores can compete with the online tech giants like Amazon. Here are some ways that benefit the customers and retailers if they use pickup services.
- No delivery fee or service fee or tipping ability.
- Saves a lot of time and promotes quick services.
- Easy return and exchange items.
- Assurance of items being in stock.
- Improves sales of the store.
Which Stores Offer Pickup Services?
Countless local retail stores offer pickup services including normal grocery stores, clothing stores, and hardware stores too.
Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Costco, Home Depot, Best Buy, Lululemon, GAP, Tokyobike, Nalata Nalata, and TC Running are a few of the stores that offer pickup services through their e-commerce website or app.
Conclusion:
In-store pickup services have greatly advanced as a lot of customers are now aware of this service. You must check with your local store if they provide such services as some of the retailers do not operate this service. Ensure that you try the pickup service at least once to gain a better understanding and enjoy the privilege it provides. Happy shopping!
FAQ:
- Is there a difference between in-store pickup and curbside pickup?
Yes, in the curbside pickup option, the customers don’t need to get out of their vehicle while the in-store pickup service allows you to go to the counter and pick up the order yourself.
- What is BOPIS?
It refers to ‘Buy Online, Pick-up In Store’.
- Does Walmart offer an in-store pick-up service?
Yes, Walmart offers in-store pick-up services.
