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Over the last year, retailers and grocers have learned a lot about what it takes to compete in the BOPIS and curbside battle - but some are coming out ahead.

Those that survived a year of stress testing supply chains, deliverability, and eCommerce are now cautiously wondering what lies ahead for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. The answer is both: opportunity and uncertainty.

As retailers and consumers begin to open their doors, what will return to normal and what will continue to expand or change? Let’s take a look at some of the changes we’re seeing in the grocery and retail space.

Even as cities continue to open back up, curbside, pick up in-store (BOPIS), and alternative fulfillment solutions are far from getting kicked to the curb. In fact, retailers like Albertsons reported its fourth consecutive quarter of digital growth of over 200% in April, largely attributed to their delivery solutions, curbside pickup capabilities, and innovative apps.

Over the last year, retailers have had their resiliency and supply chains tested in response to COVID. As online orders surged with stay-at-home mandates, companies struggled to meet demand with a decreased workforce and broken supply chain. Over a year later, as cities open back up, many retailers are wondering "what's next?"

In this day and age, it is so important to have a successful buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) experience with more and more customers purchasing items online. It may seem like a very simple process, but messing up even one small step in between could cause cart abandonment, miss picks, or customers arriving at the wrong pickup location - all resulting in frustrated customers. 

Shoppers are no longer frequenting the grocery store for their weekly stock-up like they did pre-COVID. Instead, they’re using grocery delivery or curbside pickup, causing retailers to rethink their space, customer experience, and last-mile delivery.

In 2020, eCommerce sales grew a whopping 44%, but not all retailers saw equal revenue gains. The businesses that boomed were the ones that identified and adapted to the change with effective eCommerce and BOPIS strategies.

Wondering how they did it?

Whether you’re new to the space and trying to institute new processes and software or you’re an established business trying to pivot or optimize, we’ve got the tech, tools, and tactics you need. In this webinar, we discussed how to:

Buy online pick up in-store (BOPIS) was an optional feature offered by retailers before the covid19 pandemic. Fast forward to 2021, BOPIS has basically become one of the most important retail services for survival. 

We’re currently in the middle of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, even with vaccines being rolled out as fast as possible, there are new strains that have been proven to be more infectious than the first strain.

Retail workers and other customer-facing employees in retail outlets stores are at an even higher risk of infection, not just from the micro-droplets, but also from contact with common surfaces. Studies have shown that the coronavirus can live on surfaces for as long as 3 days.

This means that the handheld devices used in retail stores are increasing the risk of retail workers being exposed to infection in the workplace. These surfaces are dangerous to both employees and customers.

While the competition between retail brands has always been fierce, the global pandemic has upped the ante. The stakes are higher than ever and retailers must learn to adapt or face bankruptcy as many have already done.

Online grocery shopping has become a key part of many of our daily lives due to COVID19. While this is good news for retailers, it comes with its unique challenges – faster shipping being the most prominent. It has become imperative for retailers to get customers their items very quickly.