The retail shopping experience is changing because consumer shopping habits are evolving. As online shopping continues to accelerate, retailers are left searching for ways to entice consumers who begin the shopping experience online, back into their brick-and-mortar stores. Retailers who do this successfully often leverage innovative technology to meet these consumers where they are shopping—with a smartphone and in the comfort of their own home—and connect that experience to their stores.
The Emergence of the Omnichannel Shopper:
If you’re reading this, you’re likely considered an omnichannel shopper. Omnichannel shoppers use multiple channels to interact with a brand or retailer throughout their shopping journey. This means they are comfortable shopping in-store and online on brand and general shopping websites. They are familiar with how to shop using corporate apps (think Starbucks, Target, Nike) on their smartphone and corporate social media channels. What makes omnichannel shoppers so appealing to retailers is that they often fluently switch from medium to medium for a variety of reasons.
They may purchase clothing and apparel online, only to pick it up in-store to try out the sizing or see how the color of a garment matches an outfit. Or they scan a corporate social media channel to be notified of a holiday discount, only to purchase a combination of discounted and full-priced items from the corporate website. When using a corporate app, they often receive unique product offerings, loyalty points to use towards discounts, and early notifications of product launches. This brings them closer to the brand, increasing brand loyalty, which may lead them to seek out the brand’s physical stores for a more immersive experience.
Omnichannel Shoppers In-Store:
Retailers reap the benefits of enticing omnichannel shoppers in-store because those shoppers are already familiar with the brand and are more likely to make a purchase. When they go to a retail store for a pickup or drop-off (return or exchange), 38% of omnichannel shoppers make an additional purchase. They, on average, spend four times as much as in-store customers and 10x as much as online-only shoppers. Now you can see why they are so lucrative to retailers.
The Growth of BOPIS and BORIS:
Another trend that omnichannel shoppers are driving is the desire for self-service at retail. 73% of shoppers prefer to manage returns independently, while 70% indicate that Click and Collect (BOPIS – buy online, pickup in-store) services improve the overall shopping experience. Add that to the 30% projected growth rate in self-service for pickup, drop-off, and returns at retail, and there is a huge opportunity for retailers to invest in technology to meet this demand.
The Current Pickup and Returns Process at Retail:
The current returns process creates friction for shoppers. Staffing the online pickup and returns counter is costly and labor intensive. Retail staff have less time to serve and sell to their in-store customers. Meanwhile, shoppers are left feeling frustrated at the long wait times to pick up or drop off online purchases. This friction results in a missed opportunity for retailers to capture the loyalty of omnichannel customers.
Some retailers use package lockers to address their pickup and drop-off needs. While many consumers are familiar with using a package locker, they are not the most efficient or cost-effective method. They require an expensive investment in purchasing and installing the equipment. They are bulky, inflexible, and take up a large amount of space for the relatively few numbers of packages they can hold. Just think of the different kinds of items you can order online and pick up (clothing, electronics, appliances, toys of all sizes), and now imagine the various sizes of locker spaces you would need to hold them. This inability to flex and scale limits the size and number of items that any locker system can hold.
iPickup Self-Service eCommerce Fulfillment:
However, solutions exist that are ideal for supporting retailers’ needs while enhancing the retail experience for omnichannel shoppers. iPickup™ is a self-service eCommerce platform that offers fast and frictionless BOPIS and BORIS services. It allows shoppers who purchase items online to easily pick up, return, and exchange those items in-store without having to interact with staff.
Retailers who adopt the iPickup platform benefit in the following manners:
- Save Time – The average time to stage a pickup order is 16 seconds.
- Save Money and Labor – Eliminates the need to staff a pickup and returns counter.
- Increase Store Profitability – Frees up retail associates to serve and sell to in-store customers.
- Drives Footfall – Omnichannel customers are very likely to make additional purchases in-store.
- Reduces Shrinkage – Audio and video alarms deter theft; secure digital chain reduces returns fraud.
- Increase Brand Loyalty – Creates a pathway to develop omnichannel customers.
How Does iPickup Work?
The iPickup platform features two different methods of ensuring simple, fast, and frictionless Buy Online, Pickup, or Return In-Store solutions: 1) the iClip, an iPickup solution, and 2) Computer Vision technology.
The iClip, an iPickup solution, is a sensor that easily clips to clothing, shopping bags, food orders, and more. Using BLE technology, the iClip lights up when customers scan the QR code associated with their pickup order. Light and audio guidance prompts direct the shopper to their item, which can be retrieved without staff interaction. The iClip is deposited into a bin and later put back onto the charger. The shopper is then free to continue shopping in-store.
Using advanced computer vision technology, the location of an order is tagged once it has been staged on the pickup and returns shelf and tracked until the consumer picks it up. Light, laser, and audio guidance prompts direct shoppers to their items. Presence sensor cameras monitor all orders 24/7 for security purposes. Once an order is retrieved by the shopper, they can continue shopping in-store.
The iPickup platform is an excellent BOPIS and BORIS solution for clothing retailers, supermarkets, pharmacies, sports stadiums, dry cleaners, and quick-serve restaurants. It’s an example of technology that supports retailers’ efforts to enhance the physical shopping experience and cater to the needs of shoppers who prefer to begin their journeys online and on their phones. Simply put, iPickup makes the process of buying online and picking up or returning in-store easy. And what retailer doesn’t want a little bit more of easy these days?
Listen to our latest Intelligent Logistics podcast: “Self-Service BOPIS and Other Retail Trends,” where Matthew Knoff, VP of Partnerships lends his expertise on the trends and solutions seen at retail.
The iPickup platform features self-serve eCommerce fulfillment, out-of-home parcel services, and self-serve shipping solutions. To learn more about the iPickup platform, contact us at or visit www.position-imaging.com/ipickup/.