Where BOPIS breaks
- No aging dashboard; orders fall through the cracks.
- Pickers hunt (poor maps, no pick path).
- Substitutions are ad-hoc; managers get dragged in.
- Curbside check-in is manual; customers wait.
A one-screen BOPIS workstation
- Queue by aging & promise window: SLA timers go red when you’re in danger.
- Pick paths by zone: show exact bay/backroom location to cut hunting.
- Rules for substitutions: brand/size/price constraints with one-tap approvals.
- Auto-messages: “picking,” “ready,” “en route,” “picked up.”
- Curbside panel: capture plate, stall, and elapsed time.
KPIs to watch
Avg pick time & ready-for-pickup SLA (by store/hour).
Substitution rate & cancellation rate.
Customer wait time at curb (check-in → handoff).
NPS for pickup (one-tap survey in the “ready” message).
ROI sketch
Cutting average pick time from 18 to 11 minutes in a 40-order morning saves 280 minutes (~4.7 hours) per day per store. Add fewer cancels and faster curbside turns; you’ve freed labour and protected revenue without adding bodies.
Takeaway
Put the entire BOPIS journey on one surface with timers, paths, and messages. Hit the promise window and customers forgive everything else.
References
- Forrester — US Consumers Use Numerous Store Pickup Options for Online Orders — Report
- Forrester — Avoid Customer Dismay! Benchmark Your Store Fulfillment Initiatives — Brief
- NRF — Fulfillment and delivery (BOPIS & speed expectations) — Overview
- NRF — A snapshot of consumer shopping habits (2023) — Report
- McKinsey — Retail’s need for speed: Unlocking value in omnichannel delivery — Article
- McKinsey — Achieving profitable online grocery order fulfillment — Article
- GS1 US — Retail Grocery Best Practices for Order Changes (substitutions) — PDF
- GS1 US — Implementation Resources for Standards (location data & pick path enablers) — Portal