How “Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store” gives sellers and customers an edge

Online shopping has grown in popularity over the last several years and has attracted a lot of attention. The e-commerce business is expanding in tandem with technological advancements and consumer demands. People are no longer restricted to purchasing in stores; they can buy everything they want, anywhere in the globe, with no effort.

Businesses promote various sorts of internet business in order to suit market demands and keep up with developments. Do you see more and more businesses expanding BOPIS (Buy online, pickup in store) model? So what are the store pickup benefits that many customers like so much? We will explore the benefits that it brings in today's article!

Consumers have gradually shifted their traditional buying patterns to internet consumption, especially since the outbreak of the Covid - 19 has hampered many daily activities.

Online shopping is convenient not only because you can shop anywhere, but you can also order at any time. You can take advantage when going to coffee with friends, surfing the web at home, or before going to bed, etc. And usually, when you buy from a store far or near, they also ship the goods to the address you provide.

That is indeed convenient, but many times the shipper delivers when you are not at home or are not available to receive the goods. Therefore, if the store is not too far away, more and more customers after ordering online often want to pick up the goods themselves. Customers will not have to contact the delivery person, are free to choose the location (if the store has many branches) and time to receive the goods.

If there is demand, there must be supply, so businesses should implement the "Buy online, pick up in-store" method to catch up with the trend and meet the needs of the market.

What is "Buy online, pick up in-store" (BOPIS, or BOPS)?

"Buy Online, Pick up in-store" is a new online retail model that has appeared in almost all major retailers in the world. It is understood as "buy/order online but get it in the store" is a new hybrid e-commerce model that allows users to shop online and go to the stores of that company by themselves to receive the goods.

This trend is being applied by many of the world's leading retail brands such as Walmart, Armani Exchange, Gap… even Apple. This new form is giving customers a more convenient shopping experience by giving them more choices of purchasing methods, saving time waiting, or experiencing the feeling of buying real products at the store.

In fact, home delivery online retail has been around for a long time and brings consumers many benefits that are time-saving. However, the downside of this form is that customers often have to wait a long time and incur additional costs for shipping.

In some cases, customers will find your shop even more helpful to them than all the major e-commerce sites combined. For example, many times what customers want is not "free shipping" but to have the goods as soon as possible... the big e-commerce sites don't deliver them within an afternoon, but you can help them hold products right at noon when they come to your shop to receive the goods.

According to market research firm Forrester Research (USA), the BOPIS model is currently used by more than 40% of consumers in this country. The new retail format has helped increase sales when up to one-third of US consumers said they often decide to buy more when they come to pick up products at supermarkets or stores. This is also a good "trick" to best serve customers and have the opportunity to increase sales.

Buy online, store pickup benefits for customers

• Customers can learn about products before making a purchase.

Customers will frequently use Google to look for information before purchasing things such as perfumes, electronics, and so on. They can go to your website, scrutinize the information, and then decide "don't buy online", but go straight to the store to check it out and then buy it.

This online shopping model helps customers "book" the things they want (purchase/order online) without worrying about them being sold out or being out of stock when they come to buy. And you can still sell goods, before and after, it will be beneficial.

• There are no shipping expenses.

No one wants to spend money on unnecessary things. Customers are the same, when they can come to the store to receive their goods, there is no reason why they want to pay for shipping. So "Buy online, pick up in-store" can help customers save on shipping and delivery fees, from there, maybe they will be interested and buy more products.

• Save time waiting for customers.

The world is full of busy people, and most of them don't like waiting. If you can help customers save them waiting time, have goods right for them to hold in their hands when they are excited to shop when they like spending money, and when the customer's satisfaction is met at the right time will make them love your shop more... and come again next time.

In addition, if you need an item urgently, how to buy it online??? So, customers don't always like free shipping, sometimes they just need to get the item as soon as possible.

Therefore, this form is very convenient for customers, and useful on special occasions: Christmas, birthdays, etc. But these things, even Amazon, will not be able to bring customers this convenience like you.

• Reduce returns.

It is true that not every purchase goes according to the buyer's plan. There are many times when I buy online, I was very excited, but after a period of waiting, when the shipper delivered the goods, I was really disappointed because the product was not what I expected. Surely many customers have had the same experience as me. And usually, in those cases, I will return the item.

But buying online and getting it in the store is different. Customers can completely check it before bringing it home, so there are very few returns. That is a huge store pick-up benefit that online shopping can bring to customers.

It is also convenient that you can take care of your customers, helping to increase their loyalty to the brand.

• Fast and attentive service.

Customer loyalty is partly determined by how receptive the store appears to be to their requirements. You can bring excellent customer service every time they swing into your branches to pick up their online purchase by offering on-the-spot, courteous service during an in-store pick-up.

Buy online, store pick-up benefits for business

Besides the benefits for customers, this method also brings a lot of benefits to businesses.

• The store can sell more goods.

When customers head straight to the store to pick up an item they've pre-ordered online, this presents a potential opportunity to sell a few more products in the store.

For example, a customer ordered an iPad, and when they went to the store to receive the goods, they noticed a very nice iPad leather case, so they decided to buy it to protect the expensive iPad. Or they may be accidentally glanced over the shelf accessories, then taken a wallet to buy a new headset for their child because the one at home was broken...

Situations like this often happen, and even if it doesn't happen, you should give your customers a happy, comfortable shopping experience, and then they'll come back next time.

• Cost savings for the store

Free shipping is a terrific method to entice customers to buy more, but it can be too expensive for the merchant. But if customers come to the store to pick up their orders and then buy additional items (if any), it is clear that you will not have to deliver, nor have to go back to collect the goods if the item is not satisfactory to the customer. This is a big store pick-up benefit that saves you a considerable amount of operating costs.

• Save time and human resources for businesses.

Obviously, when you do not have to ship goods to customers, you not only save shipping costs but also save time. When customers place an order online, they just need to receive the order, prepare the goods and wait for the customer to pick it up. The store's employees also have more time to do other things, you don't need to hire too many employees to deliver as before. It's much more convenient and less labor-intensive, right?

• Improved inventory control

When customers go straight to the store and pick up their online orders, retailers' businesses generally say that they can manage their inventory easier. Although most stores receive orders from a single warehouse, the products still are sold both online and offline. That makes inventory management more difficult. Therefore, many retail stores still like the "Buy online, pick up in-store" model and appreciate store pick-up benefits.

• Impulse purchases will be increased.

The holidays are also a time for impulse purchases. For example, decorating the house, preparing food, gifts for the kids on Christmas requires a lot of shopping. It necessitates a slew of small purchases that the customer didn't anticipate, but that type of shopping activity isn't often done online.

Offering a pick-up in-store option will attract clients to your business, where impulse purchases are most likely to occur. Everything comes for a reason, and so do online business methods. They appear according to the needs of the market to improve, innovate, and bring the most convenience to customers. Each method of selling online has its own advantages and benefits. "Buy online, pick up in-store" is really a useful form of online sales, saving costs and time for both sellers and buyers.

I hope this article has helped you better understand BOPIS and the store pick-up benefits. Don't be afraid to try this sales method with your store today to see what great benefits it can bring you.