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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. 

There are several important aspects of having a successful buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) experience, starting with the obvious: how easy it is for a customer to make the purchase online - all the way through when they pick up the items in-store. Messing up even one small step in between could cause cart abandonment, the wrong item being selected, or customers arriving at the wrong pickup point, all resulting in frustrated customers. 

If the rapid deployment of vaccines across the country is any indication, life will soon return to normal. This means that mall-based retail stores and other businesses are going to begin to open up and operate at full or near-full capacity.   

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. 

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.

COVID-19 is decimating entire industries, crippling businesses, and crushing any economic growth that many countries have managed to increase since the 2008 recession. A visit to the average city shows rows and rows of shops boarded up with many other businesses on the brink of bankruptcy. On the other had, some retail giants such as Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Kohl’s have actually managed to grown significantly in the wake of the pandemic.

In response to the COVID, consumers are doing most of their shopping online, and retail stores are deploying a series of delivery options that are designed to keep both retail workers and consumers safe. Retails that have learned and adapted to these changes quickly have benefitted from tremendous growth in the last year.