Tips for Implementing a BOPUS System

In business, it feels like there’s an acronym for everything. With so many new and emerging technologies being created, it’s no wonder that people want an easy way to remember certain concepts, but it’s also easy to get lost when you aren’t familiar with a term.

For example, what does BOPUS stand for? And should you use BOPUS or BOPIS? Turns out they’re interchangeable terms used to describe consumer behavior, and they stand for “buy online, pick up in store.” This omnichannel click-and-collect approach is simple: let people shop for and purchase items from the comfort of their homes and then pick them up at your brick-and-mortar location. Customers can shop around for the best deal, improving customer satisfaction and elevating the shopping experience to boost brand loyalty.

Interested to know more about BOPUS and how it can propel business growth and increase sales? Read on!

Find BOPUS Success with 3 Easy Steps

Streamlining the shopping experience is a simple and effective way to enhance a customer’s perception of your organization while also providing better overall service. People still love the idea of supporting physical storefronts, but they expect more from their visits—and BOPUS delivers the best of both worlds.

Exact implementation and the methodologies used will differ depending on your specific needs, but the basic process is the same.

BOPUS/BOPIS Process

• Step 1: A customer places an order online, using their phone, tablet, computer, or other device.
• Step 2: The order is received by the retailer, and your team prepares the order for pickup.
• Step 3: The customer arrives at your retail location and receives their order at a designated spot, whether curbside or inside the store.

Don’t let the number of steps fool you into thinking improvement is a sure thing; a poorly implemented BOPUS system can have the opposite effect, driving up customer frustration and causing a drop in sales. Make sure you implement a platform that covers all your needs so you can seamlessly integrate this lucrative investment into your business without facing any downsides.

Yes, You Should Be Using BOPUS. But Why?

Do you like waiting in line? Neither do your customers. People value their time, and standing around in line feels like a waste, especially when they know there are viable alternative solutions available.

Give customers the option of skipping the line with BOPUS. Not only does it create a better experience for shoppers, but streamlining the process also means you can save on payroll expenses and overhead costs, making it a win-win. What other benefits can you expect to see?

Elevate Customer Experience

Making customers happy should always be a priority. In fact, 63 percent of consumers will spend more at your store when you give them a positive experience—and who doesn’t want more revenue?

BOPUS empowers shoppers to take control of their experience, comparing prices and availability before ever placing the order. Adding an element of in-store pickup also gives people a chance to avoid shipping fees by making the journey themselves. This translates to savings in the eyes of your customers and goes a long way in building rapport with potential buyers.

Customers also receive an opportunity to customize every order based on how they like to shop. Want to make the purchase today but pick it up next week? Have everything shipped to the closest retail store? Shoppers can do all this and more by choosing their pickup date, time, location, and method, among other features.

Plus, you effectively eliminate frustrations surrounding out-of-stock inventory by giving them a chance to peruse goods and services before visiting the store. Instead of putting customers in a position to compromise or choose a substitute, BOPUS shows that you care about their happiness and leads to higher levels of satisfaction.

Increase Sales and Upsells

People waiting in line don’t have a chance to do much besides, well, wait. Though front-end checkout displays can be effective at pushing sales, any time in a store that isn’t spent in line opens the possibility of additional sales. Considering that 85 percent of shoppers make additional in-store purchases when picking up an online order, missing this opportunity cuts into revenue potential.

Business Insider also points out that 68 percent of U.S. consumers have used BOPUS to make purchases, meaning that if you aren’t already offering BOPIS, your store might be getting passed over for competitors that do.

Minimize Wait Times

If you’ve ever had to stand in an unreasonably long line that wraps around aisles or outside the service area, you understand what your customers are trying to avoid. Even if the line moves quickly, it still feels like forever, and perceived wait times negatively impact customer experience.

Remove the chaos and improve traffic flow by implementing virtual queues. BOPUS provides the perfect opportunity to control occupancy and staff workload. By analyzing data from your platform’s dashboard, you can start anticipating when busy or slow times will occur and management can prepare accordingly.

Improve Service Efficiency

The more efficient your company’s service, the better ROI you can expect to gain. Think of your business as a machine and efficiency as the oil that keeps all the gears turning smoothly. The better the individual parts work, the better the machine operates.

When you incorporate BOPUS into your business model your organization gains access to a lot of data: what people are searching for, what they are buying, how often they are buying, and all kinds of other insights into a customer’s journey. Using this information, you can improve inventory management on the back end, ensuring that you can meet shopper expectations and needs.

Knowing what a customer is looking for before they enter the store also provides a unique advantage; staff can use the information they provide to offer a seamless, personalized experience to every person that visits the storefront.

Team members who aren’t spending their shift managing lines can help serve more customers and tackle problems that might arise, which also creates faster, more efficient service.

Communicate in Real Time

Providing two-way communication in real time makes customers feel special and part of the conversation. Messaging can take on many forms, such as updates on orders, appointments, and cancellation options.

Let shoppers make changes to a current order, confirm their pickup location, and keep them informed of delays by giving new ETAs—all through an automated system that doesn’t require hiring a bunch of new employees.

Plus, engage with customers the way they want, using targeted ads and service info directly related to their interests and past interactions. Research has found that over 70 percent of people prefer personalized advertisements, leading to a boost in engagement and conversions.

Promote Personal Safety

Customers can easily swap hours on in-store shopping with online orders placed at home or on the go. People who are worried about their health or who have a desire to minimize their contact with crowds can reduce the amount of time they have to physically be in a store.

And although package theft isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when discussing BOPUS, it’s nonetheless an important distinction to make in comparison to at-home delivery. By having an order sent to a retail location, customers no longer have to worry about packages being delivered when they aren’t home. Porch pirates don’t stand a chance because they don’t even get the opportunity to steal. As an added bonus, shoppers don’t need to worry about poor handling by delivery drivers or damaged items.

Streamline Checkout and Improve ROI with BOPUS

The more effortless checkout feels to the customer, the more likely they are to enjoy a memorable and remarkable customer journey. This not only builds brand loyalty, but you can also expect happier shoppers to spend more money in your establishment and recommend the company to friends and family.

Seamless efficiencies also impact actions on the back end, taking queue management responsibilities off front-of-the-house staff so they can focus on providing a tailored customer experience. Partnering with a trusted company like Qtrac ensures that the implementation and maintenance of BOPUS can be introduced without the fear of disrupting your current business operations.

Discover how to prevent common pitfalls by learning how to avoid the hidden costs of queue management systems. Or if you’ve heard enough and want to know how Qtrac can drive revenue, contact us for a free demo today.