How BOPIS can help to leverage your business
Buy Online Pick Up In Store, or BOPIS as it’s more commonly referred to in retail, is the model helping to meet customer expectations.
This option merges the online and in-store shopping experience, bringing much-needed foot fall to the highstreet while still offering quick, easy and free delivery.
Martin Newman, UK consumer insights expert says that great customer service and customer centricity is about empowering consumers to engage however they want with a brand. “For some this is shopping online, for others it’s going in stores, and for others, it’s not having that uncertainty around how and when what they purchase is delivered,” he says. “There is comfort in knowing that if someone doesn’t quite like what they have ordered, they can return it. With that said, I predict that the Click and Collect model will grow”.
In fact, a recent report by e-commerce platform Kibo shows that Martin’s insights are correct with consumers now opting for BOPIS at more than four times greater volume than before the pandemic. Purchases made this way increased by 554% in May 2020 accounting for 47.5% of online orders during that month.
So how can you leverage the success of BOPIS for your own business? First things first, before offering in-store pickup as an option, you should make sure you have sufficient and convenient car parking where possible. This should be communicated clearly to your customers before they place an order. The more convenient it is for a customer to come into store, the more likely they are to place an order with you.
You can also consider creating a designated area for BOPIS orders at the front of your store with well-trained members of staff on hand to help customers with their orders.
But with any new service, it’s vital that weak links in the chain are identified early. As SLD explains, “BOPIS has become a pillar to help drive growth for retailers and ensure their bricks-and-mortar investments remain relevant well into the future. However, like so many new services or shopping platforms, a weak link in the value-creating experience can go a long way in reducing customer loyalty and driving sales to online-only retailers”.
Think you’re ready to roll out BOPIS? Make sure you’re prepared thoroughly with our simple checklist of factors to think about.
- Train staff on BOPIS and make sure they understand how the logistics of the model works. This will allow them to answer customers’ questions knowledgeably and earn their trust.
- Make sure your store has designated staff for BOPIS orders and there is someone available at all times, especially during your busiest trading hours.
- Communicate wait times for pick up with digital signage in store and update customers of delays via text message.
- Make sure there is convenient parking where possible and that this is communicated when a customer chooses BOPIS as an option.
- Offer pick-up lockers in more rural and remote areas to provide flexibility for a wider range of customers.
Find out how Clearpay can help drive your business forward in 2020 by scheduling a meeting with one of our Retailer Team Members today at [email protected].
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