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Walmart and Target are improving their online order in-store pickup processes to compete against Amazon during the busy holiday season, according to The Wall Street Journal.
During a time when Amazon.com is thriving in online sales and home delivery, in-store pickup is still a popular option for customers who seek security and assistance when purchasing big-ticket items. The brick-and-mortar big box retailers have prioritized areas that need improvement in order to compete with the online giant.
Walmart Invests in Inventory Management and Store Layout
In previous years, inventory has been an issue for Walmart during the holidays. The company has relied on semi trailer rentals to provide additional storage, which became a hassle for employees dealing with layaway and pickup orders. This year, the company has reduced inventory significantly and is stocking products higher on shelves to clear space in the backrooms of some store locations.
Simultaneously, Walmart is making more products available for online order in-store pickup and is organizing its stores and staff. The retail giant is increasing staff at its pickup counters and is positioning online orders that are ready for pickup closer to those counters to streamline the process.
Some Walmart locations are also moving in-store pickup counters away from long lines at layaway service counters. About 1,000 Walmart locations have moved the pickup counters near the front of the store to save the customer time, says The Wall Street Journal.
Online order pickups increased during the 2015 holiday season, and Walmart executives expect to see even more this year.
Target Invests in Tech and Personnel
For the first time, Target is dedicating a specific team to online order in-store pickup. The retailer is making this process even more efficient by investing in technology that tracks orders and creates the quickest route for staff to retrieve products for pickup.
Like Walmart, Target is also testing separate counters for in-store pickup and is also testing dedicated register lanes for pickup orders. In September, Target remodeled 82 of its top pickup stores to include more space, additional signage and dedicated registers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
