Have You Enabled Buy Online, Pickup In-Store Yet?

Retail acronyms are a retailer’s best friend, especially during a pandemic. 

Embracing the acronyms like ROPIS (reserve online, pick-up in-store), ISPU (in-store pick-up), and BOPIS (buy online, pick-up in-store) can extend the possibilities for wireless retailers impacted by COVID-19. And this is one of those rare times where if everyone is doing it, you should consider doing it too. 

A quick Google search of the term ​“in-store pick-up” garners results of many big-name retailers in a variety of industries who have added this process to their operations. As society keeps distant, businesses have had to shift to alternative methods to keep the path to purchase clear and the transactions flowing — wireless retailers are now tasked with making those changes to their own stores. 

But what do these jumbles of letters mean for your bottom line? 

Stay in control

The current retail landscape has felt uneasy and a bit out of control. Businesses are at the mercy of the pandemic, having to cut back on staffing, reduce in-store activity, and even close locations to be able to keep shoppers — and retail associates — safe. While online retailing is a great way to ensure customers can stay in touch with your business, it removes some controls owned by the wireless business in the purchase process. 

That means that your wireless store, known for its exceptional in-store experiences and customer-centric employees, looks and feels a little different. Receiving an online order can be a bit of a disappointment for customers if they’re missing out on that interpersonal connection with your brand.

Pick-up options, like buy online, reserve online, and curb-side ordering, allow your business to control the experience. From the condition of the purchased product to the service provided upon delivery, this tactic allows you to create the extension of your brand experience with your customers while adhering to social distancing guidelines. 

Continued loyalty

The wireless market is a saturated one, and with competition on every corner, customer experience is the best way for your business to differentiate. But with the diminished capacity to leave a shopper feeling like part of the family, how can your store stay competitive?

You’re not just in the business of retail, you’re also a consumer of goods. Start by thinking of what would make your shopping experiences memorable with a distance between you and the businesses you patronize. In-person interactions are now more valuable than ever before; a fact that is essential to you being able to capture customer loyalty during these unprecedented times. Once a consumer has made a pick-up purchase with your business, you only have a few minutes to make the physical part of the transaction memorable. Consider having employees refer to client records to see when they were last in the store, if they have a birthday coming up, or simply asking them about their day. 

These interactions may seem small, especially considering the level of service your team is used to providing, but they’ll go a long way to maintaining that meaningful relationship between your store and your customers. 

Quick and easy

Longing for retail to return to normal is not a one-way street. Your employees are likely eager to have customers return to your stores, and rest assured your customers just as excited to be able to go shopping again. 

But it will be a while yet before consumers can spend time looking through your devices, trying on different mobile accessories, and having extensive conversations about which rate plan or upgrade is right for them. In the meantime, your wireless store can provide a little taste of normalcy through omnichannel operations. 

Customers can browse your online offering, stay up to date with your social media pages, and get the items they love from your business with the help of pick-up retailing. Above and beyond the opportunity omnichannel creates for connection with consumers and generation of revenue, pick-up retailing satisfies customer demands without the hassle or worry of in-store environments during the pandemic. 

Whether consumers buy online, reserve online, or call in an order before picking their purchase up from your business, this combination of channels enables your service to shine, the customer to have an in-person moment, and for quick and easy transactions that keep everyone safe. 

Buy online, pickup in-store is easy with the right tools

Omni and cross-channel retailing will be a major player in the coming days, weeks, and months for wireless businesses. Providing safe and effective practices shows customers you’re interested in providing them with what they need while keeping their well-being top of mind. Whether you provide online to pick-up options, phone orders to curb-side options, or a combination of the two, you’ll be able to extend the customer service you’re known for to the socially distant consumer to create an awesome experience in a time of uncertainty.