As many of us as seen all over the US and around the world, retailers are finding ways to adapt to new social distancing guidelines while finding a way to keep their businesses running in the face of COVID-19. Retailers are now coming to the realization that in order to stay afloat, they need to evaluate the few options they have in order to keep their brick and mortar stores up and running. This can be a daunting task. As state and local social distancing limitations evolve, business owners are having to think of a quick solution.
Online shopping has been generating some revenue to businesses but not as much as they normally would get with foot-traffic in their brick and mortar. Since the start of the pandemic, global site traffic increased by 16% during Q2 compared to Q1. Omnichannel fulfillment solutions, specifically curbside pickup, has been the go-to solution for almost all restaurants and retailers to remain viable throughout most of 2020.
Fortuitas specializes in eCommerce consulting and strategy that can help people increase their eCommerce sales, while also helping companies integrate technology to keep their eCommerce stores up and running in a profitable way. BOPAC (Buy Online, Pick Up At Curbside), BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store) and other similar software solutions have been proven successful even before the COVID outbreak, and have become even more important during COVID. If you're wondering "What is BOPIS and why should I care", check out our blog for more information.
Before the 2020 chaos happened, a lot of people were thinking that we were in a retail apocalypse. The trend of online shopping was already steadily increasing before COVID. Retailers are now seeing double and triple digit increases in online sales during COVID-19.
The pandemic greatly accelerated this process. Using technology that supports BOPAC and BOPIS will not only make a business owner's life easier, but also make a consumer's shopping experience easier and safer. Here are some companies that were already using BOPIS before COVID showed tremendous growth, and are familiar with this new digital strategy.
Benefits of Curbside Pickup Software
When retailers set up a curbside solution, they will be able to experience a range of other benefits. Enacting an omnichannel curbside pickup solution will create a seamless selling solution to your customers, as well as keeping your employees on payroll.
Showing accurate inventory online
Shoppers aren’t as willing to risk a trip to the store if they aren’t certain you have what they need. When customers don’t have a user-friendly way of seeing your most current inventory items available, they’ll go to your competitor instead. Inventory that's just sitting on your shelves can be easily converted to an online sale with curbside pickup. When your brick and mortar is fully integrated with curbside pickup, you'll have better inventory management data and better sales data. That's why it's important to consistently have accurate and updated inventory, especially now.
Create a Low-contact Solution that is Safe for your Employees and Customers
For all parties involved in this "new way" of buying and selling, it's important to abide by safety guidelines so everyone can stay safe and healthy. BOPAC is designed to do just that. According to Retail Dive, of the consumers surveyed that were already using BOPIS, about 50% said they did so at Walmart in the past year and 34% said Target. Consumers at the time said they used the service to avoid shipping costs (64%), get their goods faster (37%) or to access promotional offers or discounts (36%). Curbside pickup solutions and BOPIS are designed to be safe, affordable, easy, and profitable.
Create more Trust and Loyalty with your Customers
Due to the current state of the world, consumers need to be able to trust you as a merchant. Offering a curbside pickup solution to your customers will create a sense of trust and safety when they go to you for their buying needs. This will improve your customer loyalty by providing your shoppers with a user-friendly, safe, low-contact, yet more unified shopping experience.
Speaking from experience, when I use curbside/drive up pickup from Target, I know that I am going to be getting everything I ordered because their site is always up to date with what's in stock. The transparency and consistency of curbside pickup software reassures your customers that they are able to safely complete their shopping list without a headache.
...
At this point, I could go on about all the benefits of using curbside pickup. You might be thinking now, “How do I set up curbside pickup for my business?”
Our friends at ShopGate are now offering software solutions designed to get your store up and running in no time. You sign up for a ShopGate account and we can handle the rest.
If you ever need help on a BOPAC or BOPAC project, please feel free to schedule some time with us for eCommerce consulting and strategy.
