Study: In-store pickup has room for improvement

Retailers are fairly good about making sure buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) orders are ready in a timely manner, but lacking in other aspects.



According to a new mystery shopping study of the BOPIS offerings of 30 major retailers from omnichannel commerce platform Kibo, the e-tailing group and Multichannel Merchant, “Unified Commerce and the Customer Experience,” 75% of retailers evaluated had orders ready for pickup within 24 hours.



However, retailers were less likely to make sure other facets of their BOPIS program were also geared toward customer convenience and satisfaction. For example, only 50% had store signage for BOPIS. Fewer than four in 10 (37%) of retailers’ BOPIS apps allowed shoppers to designate someone else to pick up a purchase.



Only three in 10 (30%) retailers enabled text notifications to let shoppers know when their BOPIS orders were ready. Seventeen percent of retailers displayed in-store inventory quantities on their BOPIS apps.



And on-site, employees at a mere 7% of studies retailers attempted to save the sale when mystery shoppers requested an exchange or return of an item.



“In-store pickup is a popular fulfillment option, but it can be difficult to get right from start to finish,” said Jennifer Sherman, senior VP, product and strategy, Kibo. “Advanced retail commerce technology, store associate training and engagement, and communication with the consumer all need to work together to provide the seamless experience consumers expect.”



To conduct the study, the e-tailing group shopped at 30 major retailers that offered in-store pickup or reserve and evaluated 85 metrics on the omnichannel experience. This experience began with evaluation of retailer apps to gauge their ability to facilitate fast shopping in advance of the store visit, followed by an evaluation of timely and accurate communication with the consumer once the order was placed. Finally, the in-store experience was reviewed to grade how well retailers used signage, in-store technology and the power of the store associate.