Eternal Sunshine of the Shopify Store: Reasons Why Shoppers Love BOPIS

Buy online, pick up in-store goes by several names; BOPIS, BOPUIS, and Click & Collect. Wherever a customer decides to interact with a brand – online, in-app, or offline; a consistent, reliable, and on-brand experience is always expected. When considering going omnichannel, retailers and D2C brands think of two primary functionalities to provide to customers before anything else. BOPIS is the essential omnichannel functionality followed by in-store returns. 

BOPIS allows customers to purchase products online from the retailers’/D2C brands’ website or mobile app and pick up the purchased product/s from the closest or most convenient retail outlet. This concept is changing the retail customer experience for the digital and mobile era.

Why do customers use BOPIS?

Every consumer has their reasons for choosing the purchase and collect option. According to several studies, there are the top reasons why customers choose BOPIS-

1. 1. To Avoid Shipping Charges: People love to shop but do not want to spend more money when it can be avoided by going to the nearest retail outlet to pick up the product. 55% of consumers opt for BOPIS to save on shipping costs.
   2. Guarantee of Product Availability: Shoppers respond better, knowing that the particular product they are looking for is in stock and readily available. It tends to enhance faith in the brand itself. 50% of consumers have decided where to shop online based on whether or not they could pick up in-store.
   3. Convenience, Speed & Ease: Today’s shoppers are constantly on-the-go and expect their user experience to be just as quick. For the purchase process to be fast, it needs to be easy. Lastly, for it to be convenient, the purchased product should be received almost immediately – within a day or the same day of purchase. 39% of shoppers chose BOPIS because they could pick up assets on the same day.
   4. Seamless Continuity of Personalization: The online store is aware of every shopper’s unique user behavior and personalizes their experience accordingly. This data is used in-store, where sales representatives attempt to cross-sell and upsell products when handing over the purchased items. Consumers prefer being offered what they like – it helps them make quicker buying decisions.
   5. No Stolen Packages: Many consumers avoid purchases being delivered home due to thieves and stolen packages. Some may not trust their neighborhood, while others rush to get the exposed package out of anxiety. BOPIS takes the worry out of the equation and gives shoppers the confidence to know the products are always in good hands.
   6. Product Quality Assurance: Shoppers like being able to see and touch the product before taking it home. This guarantees quality for the price paid. 77% of shoppers opt for BOPIS because they can see the product before taking it home.
   7. Quick In-Store Return: Once shoppers are in-store and have inspected the product, they can return it right then and there in case of bad quality, a discrepancy in size, or change their mind. 23% of consumers use BOPIS because they can return items instantly. This is also known as BORIS – Buy Online Return In-Store.
   8. Get Better Discounts: Every consumer appreciates and looks for discounts. With BOPIS, retailers tend to offer discounts to keep consumers engaged. 88% of consumers would be more likely to use BOPIS if they received a deal.
   9. Less Chaos During the Holidays: Holiday season is always chaos, with shoppers trying to find the perfect gift but dreading the traffic, long lines, crowds, and waiting for hours only to find products out of stock. Shoppers prefer BOPIS at this time because they can shop from the comfort of their living room, get a personalized shopping experience and not have to worry about waiting for the product to be delivered. 67% of shoppers planned to use BOPIS to avoid lines, ensure their gift arrived on time, and guarantee they could find what they needed.
   10. The Convenient Choice: Shoppers choose what store to shop from based on not only whether BOPIS is available but also when (same day, next day, and time) they will be able to pick up the purchased products from the store and also the most convenient location for them to pick it up from. The level of ease and convenience ease is entirely beneficial to only the shopper.  

Why Should Shopify Stores Integrate BOPIS?

BOPIS is the solution for retailers for several reasons. From online cart abandonment to evading unexpected shipping costs, no express shipping, and unacceptable return policies. It also keeps customers engaged for longer and at a much higher level. An average of 80% of shoppers abandon their cart – with BOPIS, retailers have the advantage of claiming a significant amount of online revenue and engagement. Here are the top reasons why retailers/D2C brands should integrate BOPIS-

1. Grab a Bigger Market Share Through Differentiation: BOPIS has been a critical contributor to the growth of eCommerce transactions over the last few years. Providing a superior shopping experience with personalization keeps customers coming back for more. Consumers who shop across multiple channels have a 30% higher lifetime value. 
2. Improve sales and ROI: Consumers spend more when they like the shopping experience and know they’ll be able to procure the purchases faster by coming to pick them up in-store. Once in-store, brands have the opportunity to upsell & cross-sell other products. 40% of in-store pickups result in a complementary purchase. Brands with BOPIS see a 9.5% year-over-year increase in annual revenue. They also see a 7.5% year-over-year decrease in cost per contact.
3. Increase Customer Retention: BOPIS gives customers the power to delight shoppers on a higher level by offering flexible fulfillment options and returns at brand locations. These additional benefits give brands an added advantage that keeps consumers returning for more. Businesses that integrate BOPIS achieve 91% greater year-over-year customer retention rates compared to companies that don’t.
4. Keep up with the Competition – Especially Amazon: With the significant benefits BOPIS delivers – most retail brands are taking the necessary steps to incorporate BOPIS into their omnichannel strategy. 90% of retailers plan to implement BOPIS by 2021.
5. Increase In-Store Footfall: The best way to drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores is with BOPIS. It connects your online to your offline experiences.
6. Lower Shipping Costs: The total cost to package and ship products and labor add up and can get quite costly for retailers. They can save on having every product shipped to the consumer’s door if they pick it up in-store. 
7. Better Inventory Management: BOPIS is the perfect opportunity for retailers to streamline and unify their online and offline inventory and keep it as up-to-date as possible. Several inventory management systems automate the entire system, keep track of stock to the second, and minimize the loss of sales due to a lack of inventory or miscalculation.
8. Engage Consumers for Longer: AI-powered personalization, fast fulfillment, and an overall pleasant shopping experience keep shoppers satisfied and coming back for more. 60-70% of consumers like and consistently use BOPIS when it’s presented.
9. Reduce Returns – Shoppers can see and feel products before taking them home, thereby minimizing returns and reducing the cost of returns from online sales.
10. Super Personalized Shopping Experience Both Online & Offline – BOPIS closes the gap between consumer expectations and fulfillment. A happy customer is a loyal customer. If their experience using a multi-channel sales service provided by a retail brand is quick, smooth, satisfactory, and easy, then there is no reason for them to go elsewhere. Nearly 70% of Shoppers have made multiple BOPIS purchases because they were pleased with the experience. To stand out from the crowd, brands need to focus on customer experience by putting themselves in the customers’ shoes. BOPIS is the next step in understanding consumer needs and providing solutions that best suit them. A satisfied customer is a loyal customer and a customer who will have enough faith in the brand to purchase more.

To stand out from the crowd, brands need to focus on customer experience by putting themselves in the customers’ shoes. BOPIS is the next step in understanding consumer needs and providing solutions that best suit them. A satisfied customer is a loyal customer and a customer who will have enough faith in the brand to purchase more.