What is Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS)? Key Insights and Retail Benefits
What is the Meaning of BOPIS?
BOPIS, or Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store, is reshaping the way retailers interact with customers, providing a flexible and efficient shopping experience. It is a hybrid shopping method that lets customers place orders online and pick them up at a physical store.
A recent report from October 2024, by BusinessDasher reveals that in the past six months, 67% of American shoppers have used BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store). 75% of those shoppers indicated they would likely make repeat purchases through BOPIS. Moreover, half of the shoppers consider the availability of in-store pickup as a key factor when choosing an online store.
Advantages of BOPIS for Retailers and Customers
Customers love the convenience of shopping online with the instant gratification of in-store pickup, skipping the wait for shipping. Plus, they save on shipping fees and can check out their items before heading home, which cuts down on returns and keeps them happy.
In turn, retailers that offer BOPIS see increased in-store foot traffic, additional sales, and better inventory management. Many European retailers are also actively adopting BOPIS to meet consumer demand. For instance, in 2023, approximately 60% of European retailers offered this service.
How BOPIS Works
Here's a quick look at how it works:
Step 1: A customer browses products online and places an order through the retailer's website or mobile app. Then select a nearby store for pick-up.
Step 2: The store processes the order, checks inventory, and prepares it for pickup.
Step 3: The customer receives a confirmation email or notification and picks up the item at the store.
While this may seem straightforward, for large retail chains handling high volumes of orders, implementing BOPIS efficiently can be quite challenging.
Key Tips for Implementing BOPIS Efficiently
Complex inventory management and the need for prompt order fulfillment are key hurdles for large retailers using BOPIS, especially in an omnichannel setup.
To help retailers effectively implement BOPIS, we've outlined a few essential tips to ensure a smooth and efficient process.
1. Seamless Integration with POS: Make sure your POS system is fully integrated with your online store and inventory management system, enabling real-time synchronization of information, especially inventory levels.
Customers expect to have instant confirmation of product availability when placing an order, allowing them to select the most convenient pickup time and location. Real-time inventory synchronization not only helps prevent stockouts but also significantly enhances customer satisfaction.
2. Clear Communication: Use automated emails, SMS, or in-app notifications to keep customers informed about when their order is ready for pickup, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
3. Designated Pickup Areas: Establish easily accessible pickup points within the store to improve efficiency and minimize disruptions to regular shoppers. Additionally, for high-volume orders, develop a robust fulfillment plan to ensure that there are sufficient staff and resources to process orders quickly and efficiently.
4. Use Reliable POS Hardware: Equip your store with high-quality POS hardware and peripheral equipment such as receipt printers and label printers. They will speed up the order processing and ensure accurate inventory tracking and order fulfillment.
As an established provider of POS hardware, HPRT supplies a wide range of high-performance devices compatible with mPOS and cloud POS systems. These devices include thermal receipt printers, thermal label printers, and handheld scanners.
They enable efficient printing of online orders, receipts, packing slips, shipping labels, and special pickup instructions, while barcode scanners ensure the accuracy of inventory data during product dispatch, optimizing inventory management and making the entire pickup process smoother and more reliable.
Whether it's in-store pickup for online orders or in-store checkout, HPRT's POS hardware provides comprehensive solutions for retailers, helping you improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experience in an omnichannel retail environment.
Contact us today to learn more about our products and case studies!
