Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
In response to rising shipping costs, Amazon has been changing its strategy when it comes to shipping and returns, including offering select Amazon Prime subscribers $10 to pick up their orders rather than have them delivered. Customers who take advantage of the offer can pick up at stores like Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods or Kohl’s, and the $10 off is good on orders of $25 or more, a service that sounds very similar to one independent retailers have been utilizing for years—buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS).
Even before the pandemic made it streamline with a boost in e-commerce sales, BOPIS was being utilized by independent retailers as another way to serve customers, embrace omnichannel solutions and compete against online retailers like Amazon.
As BOPIS continues to grow, one way to evolve is by adding pickup lockers. Pickup lockers can save both employees and customers time and offer a convenient option alongside curbside and in-store pickup.
Retailers should also improve existing inventory management systems to keep the products that customers want on the shelves and available for pick up. Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems and equipping employees with tablets to track inventory in real-time are a few options to keep shelves stocked.
Discover More
Learn five more ways to make BOPIS successful for your operation here. And don’t miss the 2023 NHPA Independents Conference held Aug. 2-3, 2023 in Dallas to discover more innovative solutions to common problems independent retailers are facing. Learn more and register here.
