Today, shoppers expect efficiency and speed from their favorite retail brands. While stores have a reputation of being on the decline, that’s far from the case. Brick-and-mortar locations are evolving to keep up with shopper expectations—which is why “buy online pickup in-store”, or BOPIS, has become so popular.

BOPIS services are offered by 54% of brands, as brands focus on driving more customers back into physical stores.

This article covers BOPIS orders and how this fulfillment type benefits retail brands.

Table of contents:

• What Is a BOPIS Order?
• How Does a BOPIS Order Work?
• What Are the Benefits of BOPIS Orders?
• What Are the Possible Challenges Associated With BOPIS?

What Is a BOPIS Order? 

The meaning of BOPIS is “buy online pickup in-store.” It is also sometimes also referred to as “click-and-collect.” A BOPIS order is a fulfillment method used by retail brands. It allows shoppers to buy products online and pick up their purchases in-store, usually in a matter of a couple of hours. 

BOPIS orders give shoppers the convenience of online shopping with the lower costs and immediacy of the in-store experience. It also brings consumers back into stores where they’re more likely to browse and make additional purchases.

Many retail stores, including large retailers like The Home Depot, Kohl’s, Academy, and Walmart, were already using BOPIS before the pandemic to streamline the customer experience. But many shoppers tried it for the first time as a result of the changes in store operating policies. Today, many shoppers expect your store to offer BOPIS, which includes variations, such as: 

• Curbside pickup
• Buy online return in-store (BORIS)
• Reserve online pay in-store (ROPIS)

Some retail brands offer “buy online ship-to-store” (BOSS). While a popular option, it doesn’t have the immediacy of BOPIS as the order is shipped from a warehouse instead of being fulfilled from store inventory. This can take days instead of hours, which doesn’t quite align with the on-demand economy that we’re living in. 

How Does a BOPIS Order Work? 

It’s important to stay relevant by offering BOPIS to your customers. In retail, BOPIS happens in three steps: ordering, processing, and collecting.

1. The customer places an order online

The customer shops for products either through your website or mobile app. As with any other online order, next they add products to their cart. However, when it’s time to check out, the shopper chooses “pick up in-store,” “store pickup,” or another similar variation, instead of delivery. 

This is why it’s so important to have a flexible order management system (OMS) and accurate inventory. You cannot properly execute BOPIS without a real-time view of stock levels. The risk is not being able to fulfill orders and giving customers a poor experience, which can turn them away for good.

Ideally, your system should give shoppers available pickup timeframes and locations before they check out, so customers can choose the best options for them. After making their selection, the customer pays online and submits the order. 

2. The store fulfills the order

Next, the OMS routes the customer’s order details to the desired pickup location. It includes details on the products, quantities, and pickup time for your store associates to begin picking and packing the order. 

Ideally, products will be in stock and employees are able to simply prepare the order. However, sometimes you may have to transfer products between retail locations or wait for a shipment to come in. In this case, your customer will know about the delay ahead of time. 

When the products are ready for pickup, your associates notify the customer through text, email, or app notifications. 

3. The customer picks up their order

Once the customer receives an alert that their order is ready, they’ll go to your retail location to pick it up. 

The customer might make their way to a designated “online pickup” area in your store. For some brands, that is simply a separate counter or kiosk. For others, it looks like lockers or something similar. Ideally, however, your store associates will have a mobile point of sale system that makes it easy to complete the order handover from anywhere in the store. Or even better, if you have a shopping app, customers can pick up orders in-store with one tap.

With a location-based activated store mode, picking up an order in-store has never been easier with a shopping app. The customer can just walk into the store, open the app, and the pick-up order will pop up. 

What Are the Benefits of BOPIS Orders?

BOPIS orders offer several benefits to both retail brands and consumers. Here are some of the advantages:

Elevated customer experience

BOPIS provides a seamless and flexible shopping experience. Customers have the convenience of online shopping and the immediate satisfaction of picking up their purchases without the wait.

Reduced shipping costs

For brands, BOPIS can help reduce shipping costs as the customer is responsible for transportation from the store. This can be particularly significant for bulky or heavy items that would incur higher shipping expenses.

Increased foot traffic

BOPIS can drive more customers to physical stores, increasing foot traffic and potentially leading to additional in-store purchases.

When customers come into the store to pick up their orders, brands have the chance to upsell or cross-sell additional products. This can contribute to increased sales and customer satisfaction.

Reduced returns

Since customers have the opportunity to inspect their purchases at the time of pick-up, there may be fewer instances of returns due to dissatisfaction with the product.

Environmental impact

With BOPIS, customers may choose to consolidate multiple purchases into a single trip, reducing the number of individual deliveries and the associated carbon footprint. Fewer returns also reduces environmental impact.

What Are the Possible Challenges Associated With BOPIS?

While BOPIS offers significant benefits, there are also challenges associated with its implementation. Here are some common challenges:

Requires a brick-and-mortar store

To allow customers to buy online, pick up in-store, your brand obviously must have both an online and physical store. If you lack one or the other this approach becomes impossible.

Inventory accuracy is crucial 

Keeping an accurate and up-to-date inventory is vital for BOPIS. If the online inventory doesn’t reflect the actual stock in the store, it can lead to customer dissatisfaction when items are not available for pickup as expected.

Store associates will need training 

Employees will need proper training to handle BOPIS orders effectively. They must understand the process, locate items quickly, and communicate effectively with customers.

Necessitates space

BOPIS requires designated spaces for order storage and customer pickup. If your store has limited space, it may be challenging to allocate specific areas for these purposes without disrupting the regular shopping experience and driving up wait times.

You need omnichannel order management

Legacy systems won’t get the job done. Retail brands need to integrate their online and in-store systems seamlessly. An omnichannel order management (OMS) system allows your brand to seamlessly manage and fulfill customer orders across various sales channels. 

Give Shoppers The Flexibility They Crave

BOPIS is a testament to the benefits of using an omnichannel approach. One that combines the ease of online shopping with the efficiency of in-store shopping.

Having the right technology to support solutions like BOPIS, is important. NewStore’s omnichannel OMS modernizes fulfillment to maximize store productivity and get products to customers faster. Sign up for a demo and harness the power of omnichannel.

Last updated on March 6th, 2025 at 10:45 am

With so many omnichannel shopping options today and ecommerce giants like Amazon setting the bar for rapid shipping, consumers now expect fast and seamless delivery. To keep up, retailers need a strategy that meets these demands—and one of the most effective ways to do this is through order routing.

By investing in order routing, retailers can streamline the fulfillment process, move inventory more efficiently, and delight customers with faster deliveries. Let’s dive into how order routing works and why it’s essential for retail success.

What Is Order Routing?

Order routing directs customer orders to the optimal fulfillment location based on criteria like inventory availability, proximity, delivery speed, and fulfillment cost.

More specifically, order routing makes decisions based on: 

• Available inventory: Sophisticated order routing systems include logic to minimize order splitting. When a customer orders multiple items, the system evaluates each fulfillment location to see if one has all or most of the items available.
• Inventory levels: The order routing system considers the stock levels of items ordered. If an item is popular or in high demand, selecting a location with higher stock reduces the risk of stockouts, ensuring the customer receives all their items as quickly as possible and without delay.
• Customer location: Order routing will direct orders to the closest fulfillment site to minimize delivery times and costs.
• Ranked fulfillment locations: Order routing systems can prioritize fulfillment locations based on a predetermined ranked order of locations, typically factoring in criteria like speed, cost, and efficiency.
• Delivery options and time frames: Order routing systems will also take into account the customer’s chosen delivery speed or fulfillment preference.

Benefits of Order Routing for Retail Brands

Order routing is essential for omnichannel retail brands, offering a range of benefits such as lower shipping costs, higher customer satisfaction, and faster delivery times. Below, we’ll dive into the key advantages of order routing.

Faster delivery 

Order routing gets orders to customers faster by choosing the closest or quickest fulfillment location. It also lets brands tap into ship-from-store options, meaning online orders can be filled from nearby stores instead of waiting on fulfillment centers.

Reduced shipping costs

By selecting locations that reduce travel distance and grouping items when possible, order routing helps bring down shipping costs. These savings can be passed down to customers who then enjoy quicker deliveries at a lower price.

More sustainable

Order routing supports sustainable practices by shipping from closer locations to reduce emissions. It also minimizes split shipments, which saves on packaging and transportation costs. Plus, brands can route orders from locations with excess inventory, helping to clear stock and reduce waste—great for eco-conscious customers and long-term savings.

Increased customer satisfaction

If orders can ship from the closest location to the customer, shoppers will experience faster shipping options at a lower cost. Customers who receive their purchases more quickly, and spend less or nothing at all on shipping fees, will have higher satisfaction.

Scalability and efficiency

By automating fulfillment decisions, order routing reduces manual work and helps maintain accuracy, ensuring customers get exactly what they ordered. It also helps prevent stock outs by directing orders to the store or warehouse with available inventory. 

Supports omnichannel fulfillment

Order routing makes it easy for customers to shop on their terms by supporting options like ship-from-store, curbside pickup, and in-store pickup. It gives customers flexibility in how they receive their orders, boosting convenience and satisfaction.

How a Flexible Order Management System Enables Order Routing

Many legacy order management systems (OMS) have made it complex for retailers to set up routing logic and prioritization rules. These outdated systems often lack the flexibility needed to adapt to customer demands and optimize order routing.

In contrast, modern technology solutions, such as a flexible order management system, allow retailers to utilize order routing. A flexible order management system tracks all inventory on one platform. It also displays all purchase data on a dashboard, making it a one-stop shop for up-to-date inventory information. This data then helps predict which items will need reordering and manages returns with more efficiency.

A flexible OMS also supports item-level order routing, which directs each product to the best fulfillment location based on factors like proximity, stock availability, and delivery speed. This not only reduces shipping costs but also shortens delivery times, ensuring customers get their orders faster. Plus, it offers the flexibility for customers to choose from various fulfillment options like shipping, buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS), or curbside pickup, depending on their preferences.

Order Routing Example for a Retail Store

Let’s walk through an order routing scenario for a clothing retailer with a customer order that includes five items:

The company has four locations—stores A, B, and C, plus a distribution center (D). All locations carry the five items the customer ordered, but store C is out of stock in one of the sizes ordered, so it’s ruled out as an option.

Stores A and B are both in the same city as the customer, while the distribution center is located in a different region. To keep shipping costs in check, the distribution center is excluded from the routing process.

The retailer’s order routing system is set up to prioritize the closest location to the customer to ensure the quickest, most cost-effective delivery. In this case, store A, which is closer to the customer than store B, is selected to fulfill the order.

However, if one of the items the customer ordered is particularly popular and store A has low stock, the system may choose store B instead. This helps reduce the risk of stockouts or the need for split shipments, ensuring the customer receives their complete order promptly.

How Vince Used Order Routing to Boost Efficiency and Sales

Vince, a luxury retailer, elevated its customer experience with the NewStore Unified Commerce Platform, specifically leveraging the order management system’s advanced order routing capabilities. Previously, Vince’s siloed systems led to inefficiencies, requiring associates to call other locations to confirm item availability for customers. Now, with the NewStore platform, Vince has real-time inventory visibility across all locations, enabling associates to effortlessly sell inventory from any location. This streamlined experience now contributes to 8% of Vince’s total sales.

This improved order routing has benefited Vince in other ways too. Now, 38% of online orders ship directly from stores, getting items to customers faster and reducing shipping costs. Additionally, the brand’s ability to offer flexible fulfillment options, like buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), drives even more convenience. By combining order routing with intelligent inventory access, Vince not only meets customer expectations but also maximizes sales and boosts loyalty. Read our Vince case study to learn more about this partnership. 

Fulfillment for the Future

As retailers consider ways to enhance their omnichannel fulfillment options, investing in a flexible OMS with order routing should be a top priority. Not only will this help scale the business, but it will also provide a better customer experience. Retailers will benefit from greater inventory oversight and more sustainable shipping practices. Meanwhile, lower shipping fees and quick delivery options will increase customers’ loyalty in the long term.

Want to learn more about our flexible order management system? Reach out for a demo today.

Last updated on November 14th, 2024 at 10:49 am

During the pandemic, customers embraced curbside pickup as a safe, minimal-contact shopping experience that was convenient and quick. Now, customers expect this service. To stay competitive, brands need to embrace curbside pickup as a permanent store fulfillment option. 

In this post, we’ll cover what curbside pickup is, why your brand should offer it, and how to excel at it.

Table of contents:

• What Is Curbside Pickup?
• How Does Curbside Pickup Work?
• Benefits of Curbside Pickup
• How Brands Can Overcome Curbside Pickup Challenges
• How Technology Can Improve Curbside Pickup

What Is Curbside Pickup?

Curbside pickup, also referred to as click-and-collect, is a retail service that lets customers place orders online, by phone, or via a mobile app and pick them up from their cars at designated spots outside the store. This fulfillment option offers brands an opportunity to enhance customer convenience, reduce in-store traffic, and provide a quick, contactless experience.

How Does Curbside Pickup Work?

Curbside pickup is a simple process. Here are the steps involved:

1. Order placement: Customers place their orders and select curbside pickup at checkout. If a retailer has multiple locations, the website or app will prompt the customer to select the most convenient store for pickup.
2. Order confirmation: Once the order is ready, the customer receives a confirmation message—usually via email, SMS, or app notification—along with instructions on where and when to pick up their item.
3. Customer arrives to store: Customers drive to the store and park in designated curbside pickup spots. These are often labeled with signs to make them easy to find.
4. Customer checks in: After parking, customers either call or text a dedicated phone number or check in through an app. Some shopping apps even allow customers to share details like their car model and color, making it easier for employees to locate them. Even better, some apps use GPS tracking, automatically alerting the store when the customer is en route and when they’ve arrived.
5. Order is delivered to the car: A store employee brings the order directly to the customer’s vehicle. In some cases, the employee may check the customer’s ID or order confirmation to ensure accuracy.

Benefits of Curbside Pickup

The benefits of offering curbside pickup are significant. From enhancing customer satisfaction to lowering operational costs, curbside pickup can streamline the shopping experience and boost sales. 

Reduces in-store traffic

By directing customers to pick up their orders outside, curbside reduces in-store congestion, creating a more pleasant shopping environment for those who prefer to shop in-store. It can help store associates focus on providing better service to these customers. 

Increases sales

Offering curbside pickup can attract more customers who prioritize convenience and are looking for a quick shopping solution. This can lead to increased sales as customers may be more likely to make purchases when they know they can avoid the hassle of in-store shopping but also don’t have to wait for their order to be delivered. 

Enhances customer satisfaction

Providing a curbside pickup option can significantly boost customer satisfaction by meeting modern shopping preferences. It shows that a brand is adaptable and responsive to customer needs, which can improve loyalty.

Creates seamless shopping experiences 

Curbside pickup offers unmatched convenience by allowing customers to place their orders online or by phone and retrieve them directly from their car. This eliminates the need to navigate the store, find parking, or carry heavy items. For busy individuals or families, this can save a significant amount of time and effort, making their shopping experience much more efficient.

Reduces delivery costs

By managing pickups in-store, brands can reduce overall shipping and handling costs. This can be particularly advantageous for businesses that might otherwise incur higher expenses with traditional delivery logistics. For example, brands that sell large, bulky items.

Minimizes returns

When customers pick up their orders in person, they have the opportunity to inspect their items before leaving. This can help reduce return rates, as customers are less likely to return products that they’ve already verified at the time of pickup. 

How Brands Can Overcome Curbside Pick Up Challenges 

Curbside pickup offers undeniable convenience, but it’s not without its challenges for retailers. However, with the right strategies, brands can not only overcome these challenges but also turn them into opportunities for growth.

Loss of impulse purchases

When customers opt for curbside pickup, they miss out on making impulse buys because they’re not inside the store. To counter this, use SMS or app notifications to suggest additional items when customers are close to picking up their order. For instance, if a customer is picking up a garden hose, send a message like, “We have a new garden nozzle for $5.99. Would you like us to add it to your order?” Another approach is to set up outdoor displays featuring impulse buy items.

Need for technology

Technology can help ensure a smooth curbside pickup operation. If you have impulse outdoor displays, you should equip staff with mobile POS systems to handle transactions outside the store. These systems should be integrated with your main inventory and sales systems to keep data synchronized. Additionally, consider using tablets or kiosks outside where customers can view and add impulse items to their order while they wait.

Lack of space

Limited curbside pickup space can be a challenge, especially in busy areas. Consider partnering with neighboring businesses to create a shared pickup zone. If space is extremely tight, consider using a scheduling system to stagger pickup times thus reducing the number of cars at the curb simultaneously. 

Managing order accuracy

Ensuring that customers receive the correct items is crucial, but it can be difficult when handling multiple orders simultaneously. Implement a robust system for tracking orders and verifying items before they are brought to the customer. Use barcodes or RFID tags to quickly check items against the order list. Training staff to double-check orders and maintain clear communication with customers can also help reduce mistakes.

Handling high order volumes

During peak times, such as holidays or sales events, managing a high volume of curbside pickups can strain resources. To address this, consider increasing staff during busy periods and optimizing order processing workflows. Implement a system for managing and prioritizing orders based on pickup times and customer preferences. Providing a clear and efficient process for both staff and customers can help manage the increased demand effectively.

Ensuring customer communication

Effective communication is crucial for a smooth curbside pickup experience. Customers should receive timely updates about their order status, including when it’s ready for pickup. You can use multiple channels, including SMS, email, and app notifications, to keep customers informed. Make sure to also offer clear instructions for the pickup process and provide a dedicated contact number or support channel for any questions or issues that may arise.

How Technology Can Improve Curbside Pickup

The right technology can help your brand effectively implement and excel at curbside pickup. 

An omnichannel order management system allows retailers to efficiently manage orders from multiple channels, ensuring accurate inventory tracking and fast fulfillment. Paired with a mobile point-of-sale system, associates can process payments and manage orders right at the curb, delivering a seamless and convenient customer experience. Together, these technologies reduce wait times, minimize errors, and make curbside pickup more efficient for both customers and staff.

If you’re looking to enhance your curbside operations with modern solutions, contact us today.

Last updated on March 23rd, 2026 at 10:46 am

Click and collect allows customers to shop online and pick up their items at a nearby location, saving on shipping costs, providing immediate access to their purchases, and ensuring more control over the pickup timing.

Click and collect not only puts products in shoppers’ hands faster, but it also simplifies fulfillment for brands. This fulfillment strategy is a win-win for both shoppers and retail brands. In a competitive market, it can help not only improve margins but also meet evolving customer expectations. 

Let’s get into how click and collect works and its advantages for retail brands. 

What Is Click and Collect? 

Also called BOPIS, which stands for buy online pickup in-store, click and collect is a type of omnichannel fulfillment. A shopper orders your product online as usual, but instead of shipping it to their home, they choose to pick up their order at a physical location. 

Generally, shoppers would pick up their orders at one of your brick-and-mortar store locations, but you could enable them to pick up from any physical location. For example, at your curbside, a UPS or FedEx store, or even a shipping dropbox.

How Does Click and Collect Work? 

As long as you have a robust order management system (OMS), click and collect allows for a seamless shopper experience. Here’s how the click and collect model works:

• The customer chooses click and collect. Your customer shops online or via your retail mobile app and chooses click and collect instead of one of your shipping options. The system will display which physical locations the shopper can collect the item from, and often when the item will be available for collection. The customer completes their order and pays. 
• An employee prepares the order. Click and collect integrates with your POS and store inventory management systems. An associate or the store will get a notification on their store solution that an online order needs to be fulfilled. In a timely manner, they pick the items and pack them up so they’re ready for the customer’s arrival. 
• The system notifies the customer. When the customer’s item is available for pick up, they will receive a notification via email or SMS. Most click and collect models give shoppers a window of time for when they can pick up their item. 
• The customer picks up the order. Click and collect can include buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), where customers retrieve their orders inside the store, or curbside pickup, where they remain in their vehicle and have the order brought out to them. When the customer arrives, a store associate equipped with a mPOS can handover the order from anywhere inside or outside of the store. It’s usually as simple as scanning a QR code on a printed or digital receipt.

7 Major Advantages of Click and Collect

Although click and collect may require a few changes to the back end, it’s a smart model for omnichannel shopping. It combines the best of brick-and-mortar and online shopping to give customers the speed and convenience they expect. 

Brands who offer click and collect options enjoy these seven advantages. 

1. Better customer experience

Click and collect eliminates several pain points that shoppers experience with online shopping, including: 

• Control: Click and collect is a great way to give shoppers more control over their shopping experience, allowing them the flexibility to pick up their order when it fits their schedule. 
• Speed: Depending on product availability, it’s often faster for shoppers to pick up orders at a retail location than to wait for mail delivery. 
• In-store engagement: Click and collect brings customers into your store and allows your store associates to engage directly with shoppers. If they have any questions about their order or other products, there’s a friendly face available to offer immediate assistance.

2. Reduced costs

Click and collect orders allow brands to utilize their existing footprint to fulfill online orders. This helps to improve margins since you’ll save on shipping costs.  Simply fulfill orders to your retail location and wait for customers to pick up their purchases. 

3. Increased sales

Click and collect brings customers into your store, giving them an opportunity to browse and make additional purchases. This can lead to impulse buys that boost your sales and increase revenue. By strategically placing high-margin items and promotions near the pickup area, retailers can encourage these unplanned purchases. Store associates can also use this time to upsell or cross-sell, further enhancing sales opportunities.

4. Enhanced inventory management

By leveraging existing inventory at retail locations, brands can optimize stock levels across multiple channels. This helps reduce excess inventory and minimizes the risk of stockouts, ensuring products are always available for customers.

5. Improved customer loyalty

Offering click and collect can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing a flexible shopping option that meets their needs. Customers appreciate the ability to quickly obtain their purchases without waiting for delivery, which can lead to repeat business and stronger brand loyalty.

6. Data collection and insights

Click and collect transactions provide valuable data on customer preferences and buying behaviors. By analyzing this data, brands can gain insights into which products are popular, peak shopping times, and customer preferences, enabling them to tailor their marketing strategies and improve overall operations.

7. Reduced returns

When customers pick up items in-store, they can check their purchases on the spot. This immediate opportunity to inspect goods can reduce the likelihood of returns, as customers can address any issues directly with store staff, leading to higher customer satisfaction and lower return rates.

Click and Collect Made Easy with NewStore

Click and collect is gaining traction. The more shoppers use this fulfillment option, the more they will expect it. 

As a retail brand, you need a flexible omnichannel system that allows shoppers to enjoy a seamless click and collect experience. NewStore can help you facilitate click and collect. Request a demo today.

Last updated on July 25th, 2024 at 07:12 am

Quick and accurate fulfillment is crucial in today’s retail environment. Efficient retail fulfillment enhances the customer experience, drives loyalty, optimizes operations, and reduces costs.

Implementing best practices in retail fulfillment helps brands create a seamless shipping process that meets modern consumer demands, reduces costs, and improves sustainability.

This post covers:

• What Is Retail Fulfillment?
• Key Components of Effective Retail Fulfillment
• The Retail Fulfillment Process 
• Challenges in Retail Fulfillment

What Is Retail Fulfillment?

Retail fulfillment is the comprehensive process of receiving, processing, and delivering orders to customers. It encompasses a series of activities aimed at ensuring that products move from the point of sale to the customer’s doorstep efficiently and accurately. 

The ultimate goal of retail fulfillment is to meet customer expectations for timely and accurate delivery, while managing inventory effectively and reducing shipping times and costs.

Key Components of Effective Retail Fulfillment

Below are the key components that contribute to a successful retail fulfillment process.

Inventory management

Inventory management is the backbone of retail fulfillment. It involves tracking and managing stock levels to ensure that products are available when customers place orders.

Key practices include:

• Real-time inventory tracking: Utilize software to obtain real-time updates on stock levels to prevent overselling and stockouts.
• Endless aisle: Have a view of inventory at all locations to limit instances where you have to tell a customer no.
• Demand forecasting: Analyze historical sales data to predict future demand and adjust inventory levels accordingly.
• Reorder point optimization: Set optimal reorder points to ensure timely replenishment without overstocking.
• Cycle counting: Regularly counting portions of inventory to maintain accuracy without disrupting operations.

Order management system

An order management system (OMS) is essential for handling the lifecycle of customer orders from placement to fulfillment.

Key features include:

• Order processing: Automate the order processing workflow to ensure quick and accurate handling of orders.
• Inventory visibility: Provide visibility into inventory across all sales channels to prevent overselling.
• Customer updates: Keep customers informed with order status updates, from confirmation to delivery.

Logistics and transportation

Delivering products to customers involves effectively managing logistics and transportation.

Key components include:

• Carrier selection: Choose reliable carriers based on cost, speed, and reliability.
• Fulfillment options: Give customers a choice in how they receive their orders, whether it’s delivered to their home or picked up in store.
• Shipping speeds: Offering multiple shipping options, including standard, expedited, and same-day delivery.
• Route optimization: Develop intelligent algorithms or rules to route orders to the most appropriate fulfillment location based on factors such as inventory availability, proximity to the customer, and cost-effectiveness. 
• Tracking and transparency: Providing customers with tracking information to monitor their shipments in real-time.

Customer service and communication

Excellent customer service and communication are vital for resolving issues quickly and maintaining customer trust. 

Key practices include:

• Multi-channel support: Offer support through various channels such as phone, email, live chat, and social media.
• Proactive communication: Keep customers informed about their order status, any delays, or issues proactively.
• Return management: Simplify the returns process by providing clear instructions to enhance customer satisfaction and offering customers choice in how they return their order.
• Feedback mechanisms: Collect and analyze customer feedback to continuously improve the fulfillment process.

The Retail Fulfillment Process 

The retail fulfillment process includes several key steps. Adhering to this process ensures orders are handled efficiently from purchase to delivery and customers are provided with choices.

1. Order placement

The process begins when a customer places an order through an online store, mobile app, or at a physical retail location.

The order details, including product selection, quantity, and shipping information, are captured and sent to the retailer’s order management system (OMS). 

Omnichannel inventory management systems are key for successful retail fulfillment, as they centralize inventory data to ensure real-time visibility into stock levels across physical stores, online platforms, and other distribution channels. 

2. Order processing

The OMS verifies the order, confirming that the payment is successful and the requested items are available in stock. Accurate inventory management prevents stockouts and overstock situations, ensuring optimal inventory levels.

Once verified, the system updates the inventory levels to reflect the new order. Packing slips and shipping labels are generated at this stage. 

3. Order routing 

With accurate inventory management, brands can route orders to the most appropriate fulfillment location based on factors such as inventory availability, proximity to the customer, and cost-effectiveness. This will get shipments to customers faster, while reducing costs and promoting sustainability. 

4. Inventory storage 

Products stored in warehouses or stores should be organized for efficient picking and packing.

5. Picking items and packing orders

Items are selected from their storage location(s) based on the pick list Then, once picked, items are taken to the packing area, where they are securely packed for shipment. Packing also includes adding any necessary documentation, such as invoices or return labels, and ensuring that the items are protected during transit.

6. Shipping and delivery

Packed orders are labeled with the appropriate shipping information and handed over to shipping carriers. Retailers often work with multiple carriers to offer various shipping options, such as standard, expedited, or same-day delivery.

Timely and accurate delivery is crucial for customer satisfaction. Customers should receive tracking information to monitor the progress of their shipment.

Additionally, customers should be offered multiple fulfillment options, including the ability to buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), utilize curbside pick up, or have the items delivered to their doorstep.

8. Returns management

A seamless retail fulfillment process also includes a straightforward returns process.

Customers should be able to return products easily, with clear instructions and pre-paid return labels if applicable. They should also be able to return items to the store, whether purchased online or at a brick-and-mortar location.

Returned items are processed back into inventory or designated for refurbishment or disposal.

Challenges in Retail Fulfillment

Retail fulfillment can be challenging for many brands. To do it well requires managing inventory accurately, offering customers choice and transparency, and coordinating logistics to ensure timely deliveries. Below, we cover these challenges in more detail.

Inventory management 

Accurate demand forecasting is crucial to any retail fulfillment, but it’s challenging due to fluctuating consumer behavior and market trends. It also requires a robust inventory management system.

Additionally, coordinating a global supply chain adds complexity, with potential delays, tariffs, and regulatory issues impacting the process.

Fast delivery 

Another critical challenge is meeting the high expectations for delivery speed, particularly in the context of last-mile delivery, which is often the most expensive and complex part of the fulfillment process. Customers now expect fast and often free delivery, driven by the standards set by e-commerce giants.

Order accuracy

Errors in picking, packing, and shipping can lead to customer dissatisfaction and increased return rates. Ensuring order accuracy is essential to maintaining customer trust and minimizing costs associated with returns and corrections.

Technology integration 

Many retailers rely on outdated systems that struggle to integrate with modern fulfillment technologies. Replacing legacy systems can require significant investment but is necessary for improving efficiency and meeting customer expectations.

Sustainability

​​Implementing sustainable practices in packaging, transportation, and overall operations is increasingly important but can be costly. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious, and brands need to balance sustainability with cost-effectiveness.

Omnichannel fulfillment 

Providing a seamless experience across online and offline channels is challenging and requires replacing legacy systems and processes.

Optimize Retail Fulfillment With NewStore

By optimizing your retail fulfillment processes to ensure quick, accurate, and cost-effective delivery, you can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

NewStore offers a unified commerce platform that empowers brands to achieve seamless and efficient retail fulfillment. Contact us today to discover how we can support your omnichannel fulfillment needs and help you deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Last updated on July 25th, 2024 at 04:22 pm

The retail checkout experience is central to the customer’s experience. Get it right, and they’ll leave happy. Get it wrong, and they’ll remember their last interaction with your brand for all the wrong reasons.

Having an optimal checkout process is the final stage of the conversion battle, and it’s critical to the success of any retail brand. Read on to learn how to create a seamless checkout experience.

The Importance of a Seamless Checkout Experience

Through our survey of nearly 600 customers, we were able to glean just how critical it is to offer a seamless checkout experience.

Our findings showed that 39% of consumers want to be able to self-checkout on their own device, and 33% want store associates to be able to check them out on a mobile device from anywhere in the store. Almost 70% want emailed receipts, and 63% expect a full array of contactless payment types. Interestingly, 26% of shoppers want to be able to make purchases through email and 22% through text message. 

It’s clear that consumers want options when it comes to making purchases, and modern, convenient ones at that.

Set the Standard with Tap to Pay

When determining how to improve the retail checkout experience, remember that customer journeys follow different routes. They might be looking to self-checkout in-store, pick up orders with one tap, receive support from a store associate, or checkout online. Regardless of how or where they want to pay, the process should be seamless.

Tap to pay, a contactless payment method that allows customers to simply tap their card or their iPhone to pay, has soared in popularity since the pandemic hit. There are several key benefits of tap to pay, including reducing friction at the counter and allowing store associates to move more quickly through transactions, thus minimizing lines in store.

A mobile point of sale (mPOS) device can take this one step further, supporting contactless payments via tap to pay from anywhere in the store. If your store associates are equipped with a mPOS device, there’s no need for customers to line up behind a register. 

Simplifying the checkout process helps to ensure a positive experience with your store and increases the likelihood of repeat business.

Collect Consumer Data to Boost Personalization

Delivering a seamless checkout experience can be impeded by how much customer data you try to manually scoop up along the way. Forcing customers to create an account before making a purchase is a good way to get them to abandon their cart. So is requesting too much information in-store at the point of sale. 

However, digital payments made through a mobile checkout system or a tap to pay transaction provide a valuable opportunity to capture customer data without any form-filling. You can also offer to send an email receipt and add them to the mailing list or loyalty program without having to request and type in an email address.

With a phone number, you can invite customers to double-opt into marketing communications or to receive updates from store associates about new products. These things will set you up to personalize your next interaction with that hopefully repeat buyer. 

Be Upfront About Additional Costs

One of the most common reasons shoppers walk away from a purchase is unexpected costs. In particular, high shipping costs can be a deal-breaker. Shipping costs should be defined upfront to avoid surprising shoppers and having them reconsider their sale with you. 

This is true online and also in-store. During an endless aisle transaction where you are ordering something for a customer in store from another location, you can let them know what delivery costs are for standard shipping, two-day, next-day, etc. That way, they can choose what suits their wallet best.

Offering free shipping, particularly if a customer spends a certain amount, is also an ideal option. Or, you can offer fulfillment options, such as buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, and ship-from-store, to eliminate shipping costs all together and give the customer even more choice.

Tap into Mixed Cart Transactions

Brands are carrying less inventory in-store these days, so it is more likely that a customer will want to buy something that’s not available. Maybe it is a shirt to go with the pants you do have on-site in their preferred size. 

No customer wants to have to complete two separate transactions, though – one for the item in their hand and one for delivery. With a mixed cart transaction, associates can sell items from their own store’s inventory and items from other locations for delivery to the customer in a single transaction. All the details of the endless aisle order, such as delivery costs, are determined in the same workflow as the on-the-spot sale.

Mixed cart transactions allow brands to consistently deliver a more seamless shopping experience. And one that is truly omnichannel––bridging the gap between digital and physical retail.

Invest in a Shopping App

A shopping app can be a very useful tool for satisfying customers who like to make purchases from their mobile phones, as it offers the best possible mobile shopping experience. 

With an app, consumers can skip the line and complete transactions on their own. In-store shoppers can utilize self-checkout to simply scan their items and pay in the app. During the pandemic, Nike launched this feature to make in-person shopping safer. Using the Nike app, shoppers can scan product barcodes to request fitting options and check themselves out.

Similarly, online shoppers can use a shopping app in “Store Mode” to pick up their online order with one tap. Pickup is the last step in the buying process for click-and-collect shoppers so you want to delight them with a really simple and easy order handover.

This level of convenience will be sure to create loyal customers.

Offer a Seamless Checkout Experience Across Channels

You must offer a seamless checkout experience wherever customers are able to make purchases. Whether a customer is in-store, on a desktop, or on a mobile phone, they shouldn’t feel like the checkout process is daunting.

An omnichannel strategy will help support a seamless checkout experience. NewStore offers omnichannel-as-a-service so that you can offer your customers an amazing shopping experience from anywhere. 

Try a demo today.

Last updated on February 25th, 2020 at 09:30 am

Re-tales is an interview series featuring experts in retail, commerce, and technology. In our augural post, we speak with Dave Hartenstein, Senior Director of Omnichannel at NewStore. Dave is a seasoned retail operator, having spent two decades at Modell’s Sporting Goods and Michael Kors before joining NewStore. He talks about how his job has changed with the times, why retail is all about the customer experience, and what app helps restore his calm.

Prior to NewStore you worked in retail operations. Tell us how you got your start in retail and how you got to where you are today.

My first job out of college was as an Assistant Manager at Modell’s Sporting Goods. In my mind, it was a temporary landing place until I figured out what I wanted to do. However, I quickly saw there was so much to do at the company – training that could be improved on – and Modell’s was open to change. That’s when I thought to myself, “Maybe this retail thing isn’t temporary – there’s a career path here.”

The real sticking point for me was customer experience. Shoppers are always going to want to buy and retailers will always have things to sell. But its the customer experience that makes it positive or negative for both. Once I realized this, the customer became my laser focus – figuring out how to make the customer experience better, either through technology or training or better product knowledge.

Omnichannel has been in your professional title since 2014. What was omni then and what is it now? Why are we still talking about it?

Well, before we were talking about omnichannel we were talking about multichannel. There were a lot of multichannel conversations in 2014 when bringing digital to the store started to take off. For me, it made sense because my background was brick-and-mortar. My first big project was installing a new POS system in 150 stores, and training employees how to use it to improve the customer and store experience.

After training, I became the Manager of Retail Operations then Director of Innovations. That title really was the culmination of my previous roles: physical selling, understanding how the website worked, understanding customer needs, introducing new and innovative tech. Then we took over the website because it made sense to have someone run it with various touchpoints. From there I ran Ecommerce Operations and that’s when the idea of omnichannel came about – we wanted to offer digital customers inventory in a store and vice versa. My career has really been a build up to omnichannel – very similar to how it’s come to be in retail.

“As much as we want to say this is a retail revolution, it’s an evolution. [The cultural shift is] going to take time.”

How can today’s retailers build a modern omnichannel culture? You were tasked with this at a previous company. What are your tips for today’s retailers?

My number one tip is to have a plan. Once you know what that plan looks like, it will force you to redefine what success looks like – because when you become an omnichannel retailer, things that weren’t important or were looked at as negative, become positive. For example, returns. A return might be perceived as negative but from an omni point of view, a return is another service. Look at it as how many incremental opportunities did I just gain to sell?

My second tip is ensuring the culture shift happens at the top. If you say, “A sale is a sale, I don’t care where it happens” – you actually have to believe it. The other thing to realize is, as much as we want to say this is a retail revolution, it’s an evolution. It’s going to take time. There are a lot of small wins that can be leveraged to show value, but those won’t happen overnight – or without senior-level buy-in.

The C-Suite needs to break down the boundaries that exist between teams. If you’re going to be omni you have to remember customers don’t see in channels. Top level decision makers need to also remind reports that it doesn’t matter: A sale is our sale, and we will do whatever it takes to keep a customer happy.

“You have to have an open mind because there is no right way to do omnichannel. It’s ever-evolving so share what you’ve done, take feedback, and then iterate.”

You have a background in fulfillment and in-store services. What is the key to successfully implementing these programs, which are so critical to omnichannel?

There has to be the proper foundation, which is the culture set at the top. As for execution, the key is having quick and small wins – things that will have a large impact but aren’t necessarily hard to implement. Take endless aisle. Most retailers are doing endless aisle but with broken approaches. Instead, they can take the process and streamline it into four taps in an app. The key is to start off with something you know you’re going to succeed at and get that quick result.

The other important thing is to talk about the good things you’re doing. You’re going to have to do a lot of internal marketing. After that, educate your peers. I’ve found people want to listen; they want to know what you’re doing and why. While you’re talking – and this was hard for me – remember you’re not the subject matter expert, you’re enabling the functionality. A planner, allocator or store manager might have a phenomenal idea about how to make something better because they live it every day. You have to have an open mind because there is no right way to do omnichannel. It’s ever-evolving so share what you’ve done, take feedback, and then iterate.

What implications do services like buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS) and ship from store present for the wider retail industry? Will store formats evolve specifically to accommodate these capabilities?

The biggest implication is inventory accuracy and data integrity. Inventory accuracy is the backbone of omnichannel success. And very few retailers have it. What I learned in both a $500 million chain and a $500 billion chain is that the same problems exist. Human errors, theft, varying stock room sizes…all of these things impact inventory. Yet, the systems used to track inventory (with the exception of RFID which is just starting to take off) have not evolved. Retailers are trying to maintain inventory accuracy with the same systems they used ages ago.

It all comes down to customer service. You need to understand how bad a customer’s experience is when you tell them you have something but you don’t. If you can fix this problem, your customer service is going to skyrocket.

As far as store formats, we are seeing smaller stores. Even big-box retailers are scaling down or offering smaller versions of their stores. That’s because they don’t need to carry as much inventory in their physical stores – it’s available in other locations and there are many means to deliver it.

What are the recurring themes you hear in retail industry conversations today? Could you share one roadblock and one breakthrough?

The two big buzzwords I hear are “retail apocalypse” and “experiential retail.” The retail apocalypse isn’t going to come to fruition. People have been buying and selling stuff for thousands of years, it’s not going away. You just need to be willing to change to what the customer wants. The retailers not willing to experiment and innovate are doomed.

The biggest roadblock is legacy systems. From working on the retail side to now working on the vendor side, it is clear to me. You hear far too often, “I can’t do that…my system won’t let me.” Typically, the system they’re talking about has been there for many years and trying to rip and replace it is like doing a sharp right turn in a freight train. It just doesn’t happen that quickly.

As far as a breakthrough, I believe (no coincidence of where I work) that consumer trust in mobile – especially at the associate level – has grown. It used to be, “It’s really cool that you can do that.” Now, “I’m glad you can do that.” That’s one of the biggest breakthroughs we’ve had in retail technology in a while.

We’ve talked a lot about the changing nature of retail, do you expect the rate of change to slow soon? What is your prediction for retail 3, 5, 10 years from now?

As long as people are shopping, the pace of change will only increase. There are more and more innovation labs than ever before – retail incubators, digital agencies, and even big tech companies investing in the future. Where are we going to be in the next few years? I don’t know exactly, but I do know it’s going to look a lot different from a customer experience perspective than it does today.

Think of it this way: You’re walking the floor at the NRF BIG Show. In five minutes, can you recap everything you see? Probably not because there’s so much going on in. Even if only 10% of what you see becomes reality, we’re going to be in a better place as an industry.

What mobile apps can’t you live without?

I have three: MyFitnessPal, ESPN and Solitaire (I play a couple of games when things get crazy, then I’m good to go.)

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Always be honest and tell the truth, because then you don’t have to remember what you said.

What does your ideal weekend look like?

Spending time with my family – my two kids and wife – and my friends.