Retail’s B Acronyms: BOPIS, BORIS, and BOSS
Posted by Alex Samuely on Nov 9, 2023
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The retail industry is always buzzing with new acronyms, but several of them have risen in popularity with respect to omnichannel fulfillment: BOPIS, BORIS, and BOSS. As brands aim to reach both local and faraway consumers with their products, offering a slew of fulfillment options is key to driving sales and customer satisfaction.
Omnichannel fulfillment enables retailers to get purchases in customers’ hands in a multitude of ways. Ultimately, the consumer can choose the best way to retrieve their order – whether it’s shipped directly to their homes or to the nearest brick-and-mortar location. This freedom of choice helps brands fuel more purchases, as it gives consumers access to additional inventory and convenient shopping options.
Read below to learn more about how retail’s B acronyms BOPIS, BORIS, and BOSS – and a bonus fourth type of fulfillment, ROPIS – are benefiting both retailers and customers.
BOPIS is an acronym for “buy online pickup in-store.” It lets shoppers make a purchase via an online channel, such as a mobile app or website, and retrieve their order from a nearby brick-and-mortar store.
Consumers can shop on the retailer’s app, mobile site, or website. On the product details page, they may be able to check inventory availability at a nearby location for store pickup. If that functionality isn’t present, the checkout page should display store pickup as a “delivery” method if their desired products are in stock locally. Many BOPIS (sometimes called click-and-collect) applications allow customers to pick up their orders within a few hours.
Once the order is ready for pickup, customers will receive a text or email notification. They can then head to the store and find the online pickup location. There, they’ll need to either show identification or open the retailer’s app to confirm their order details and get their purchase.
Curbside pickup also falls under the BOPIS umbrella. With curbside pickup, consumers can make purchases online, drive to the store once their orders are ready, check in via the mobile app or call the store’s number, and have a store associate bring their orders directly to their cars.
BOPIS gives customers a reason to visit a brick-and-mortar store, where they may spot more enticing items to purchase on a whim. It also reduces shipping costs for retailers and frees up space for new inventory, as brands can more easily move the stock that’s already available in their stores.
By using BOPIS, customers can avoid shipping fees – generally one of the biggest draws of the service. The other big perk is the immediacy of retrieving orders without waiting for delivery. Additionally, customers who choose curbside pickup can skip in-store lines and save time by getting their orders dropped off at their cars.
BORIS stands for “buy online return in-store.” This means that shoppers can purchase items online and later return or exchange them in a brick-and-mortar store.
Consumers can make purchases on the retailer’s app, mobile site, or website and select their preferred fulfillment method to receive them. If they receive their items and decide they don’t want to keep them, they can either start the returns process on the retailer’s mobile app or site, or they can head directly to the store to initiate the return there. If they opt to start on the app or site, the retailer will typically ask why they are returning the items – which can inform future inventory decisions – and provide a QR code that in-store associates can scan to expedite the process.
After shoppers arrive at their nearest brick-and-mortar store, they can head to the designated online pickup counter, customer service counter, or main cashwrap to drop off the items they don’t want. The sales associate will process the return and prepare the items to hit the sales floor to be sold again or sent back to the warehouse or distribution center.
BORIS yields many perks for retailers, including increasing foot traffic in stores – which can then boost the potential for impromptu in-store purchases. It also results in a greater likelihood of converting returns into exchanges if customers see that the item is readily available in another size or color. Additionally, omnichannel returns promote more sustainability due to retailers using less packaging and shipping materials. If items can be added back into the store’s inventory for reselling, they may also be kept out of landfills.
BORIS eliminates the hassle associated with paying for return shipping, and it expedites the entire returns process. It also offers customers a more personalized experience, as they can interact with a store associate who can answer any questions for them. This can ultimately result in greater brand affinity.
BOSS is an acronym for “buy online ship-to-store.” Retailers typically offer BOSS as a fulfillment option if their operations aren’t set up to fulfill online orders with store inventory or if the local store is out of the customers’ desired items.
If shoppers purchase items online that are not available at their nearest store, retailers can offer BOSS to ship the order to the nearest location from another store, warehouse, or distribution center. While this option gives customers fulfillment choice, it can take several days for their order to arrive at the store for pickup. BOSS is especially useful at promoting omnichannel fulfillment because it effectively means retailers will never have to turn away sales due to being “out of stock.”
BOSS helps supplement the BOPIS fulfillment option, especially for stores running low on inventory. It enhances distribution efficiency by having warehouses or distribution centers fulfill customers’ orders instead of putting the onus on store associates. BOSS also allows brands to keep smaller physical locations, as they’ll be able to tap into enterprise-wide inventory to complete orders. And, it helps drive more potential sales by increasing in-store foot traffic, since customers will need to visit a store to pick up their purchases.
Finally, shipping orders to stores for pickup eliminates the need to team up with third-party or last-mile delivery platforms – a big cost savings.
In addition to the retailer never having to signal they are out of stock of something, BOSS ensures that customers will receive free shipping on their orders with no minimum purchase amount. Similar to BOPIS, it also gives consumers a more personalized in-store experience, during which they can ask store associates for help if they have questions or request product recommendations.
ROPIS, which stands for “reserve online pickup in-store,” is not exactly a “B” retail acronym, but it falls within the family and is growing in popularity as a fulfillment option. While its concept is similar to BOPIS or click-and-collect, the main difference is that customers don’t pay for their items until they arrive at the store.
With ROPIS, shoppers can reserve items on the retailer’s website or mobile app and visit their nearest store to complete the purchase and retrieve their items. If customers have selected ROPIS because they want to try on or test merchandise before they buy, their first stop in the store is usually the pickup counter or cash wrap. They also may head straight to the dressing room at a specialty retail shop. If they decide the item is the perfect fit or works as expected, they can then proceed with a typical in-store checkout flow to complete the purchase.
ROPIS promotes higher foot traffic in stores, which can result in more impromptu purchases, as customers may spot items they would like to add to their final orders. It also enables store associates to upsell or cross-sell products before customers check out.
As mentioned, ROPIS is especially useful for customers who want to try on or look at products prior to making a purchase. This gives customers more flexibility, as they can choose to swap their reserved items for an alternative if they see something better suited to their needs in the store. ROPIS may attract the types of shoppers who prefer to research products before buying them – especially if the products are higher end.
Ultimately, implementing BOPIS, BORIS, BOSS, and ROPIS fulfillment options helps retailers develop a future-proof omnichannel strategy. These options all bridge retailers’ digital and physical inventory in a way that enables consumers to enjoy a unified shopping experience, no matter where they start their customer journey.
A unified customer experience across all platforms yields long-term benefits for retailers, especially when it comes to brand loyalty. And in today’s competitive landscape, allowing consumers to shop however and wherever they want – with the promise of getting their purchases quickly – is paramount to success.
Interested in learning how these omnichannel fulfillment strategies can expand your business? Speak with one of our experts today.
