Optimizing Speed, Customer Satisfaction with BOPIS

BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store) is a revenue driver for retailers. And it’s only going to get bigger and, of course, more competitive.

Some quick numbers:

• 2% of U.S. consumers regularly use BOPIS (97.2 million).
• BOPIS retail sales totaled $132.8 billion in 2024, accounting for 9.93% of e-commerce sales.
• BOPIS market size is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 16.45% between 2025 and 2033.
• 85% of BOPIS shoppers have made an additional purchase when they went to the store to collect an order.

These numbers make optimizing BOPIS speed and customer satisfaction a business priority. Here are three ways to do that.

Refresh pickup zone designs, elevating service and branding

Your BOPIS experience goals should duplicate your aspirations for your in-store and online experiences — make them great and intertwine that outstanding customer experience with your brand.

Micro Center located in Tustin, California. Micro Center partnered with Miller Zell to develop a “store of the future” using strategic design and digital solutions. One led the list: Help customers and associates find products on store shelves or in inventory. This strengthen the in-store experience, it also led to increased orders for buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS).

What does your data tell you about potential friction for all touchpoints on the BOPIS paths to purchase? Start online with customer intent and map each shopping journey. Where do customers bail out or abandon their carts? Intuitive ease of use means every customer — whether a Baby Boomer on a desktop computer, a millennial using your app or a Gen Z responding to a TikTok video recommendation — confidently clicks through a process that feels individually personalized, not to mention secure.

Up next is post-purchase, pre-pickup communication — when, where and how? Make accuracy and clarity part of your branding, taking ownership of a customer-first, holistic process.

Elevate the physical experience by streamlining pickup logistics, whether customers never leave their cars or prefer to go inside your stores. Build or retrofit store entrances with clearly branded, dedicated BOPIS areas to minimize customer wait times and even momentary wayfinding uncertainty upon parking lot arrival and/or store entry.

Consider adopting or augmenting:

• Self-service lockers or smart kiosks in high-volume locations.
• Curbside pickup with geofencing and live tracking to trigger employee notifications.
• Express lanes for BOPIS inside stores, integrated with digital signage showing wait times or order status.

Also recall that BOPIS shoppers often make additional purchases. Efforts to increase basket size should feel like customer service, not aggressive marketing.

“Also recall that BOPIS shoppers often make additional purchases. Efforts to increase basket size should feel like customer service, not aggressive marketing.”

BOPIS retail design based on strategic insights and specific goals provides the foundation for faster pickups, reduced labor strain and creates a premium, frictionless experience that drives repeat visits and brand loyalty.

That design foundation also establishes the specifics of digital integration.

Ordering and inventory management, associate empowerment

Competitive differentiation with BOPIS requires a robust order management system (OMS) that integrates real-time inventory across all stores and warehouses. This reduces order errors, avoids out-of-stock frustrations and enables smarter order routing based on proximity, traffic and in-store availability. It also provides valuable, granular customer data.

To pilot and then scale this efficiently:

• Pursue, test and then adopt fulfillment logic systems to predict demand, strategically allocate inventory and then automatically assign BOPIS orders to the best location (And, yes, AI/machine-learning algorithms are intriguing in this capacity).
• Train and equip associates with tablets or mobile devices for augmented order managing and support, as well as real-time inventory updates that provide a human backup to digital systems.
• Add automated alerts to notify customers when their order is ready — ideally within 30 minutes.

Improved order accuracy and fulfillment speed boost both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, reducing canceled orders and driving ROI. These also ease stress and strain on your associates, whose confidence with the process and technology will foster better engagement and interactions with BOPIS customers. Know, too, that engaged associates will provide valuable feedback as first-hand observers of the customer experience.

Personalized customer communication and post-pickup engagement

After pickup, automatically send a brief, mobile-friendly survey requesting feedback on the BOPIS experience (speed, ease of pickup, associate helpfulness). Use this data for continual analysis and improvement.

This includes refining your personalization process and its marketing communications. Ensure your customer service platforms/teams are equipped to respond to any issues raised through the feedback loop.

Proactive communication reduces customer anxiety and improves satisfaction. Feedback provides invaluable data for identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for further optimization across the store network, establishing a direct link between customer satisfaction and operational adjustments. It also highlights an understanding of the entire customer journey, not just the transaction.

By combining smart design, back-end integration and personalized service, your upgraded BOPIS program can become a competitive advantage — delivering operational efficiency, a great customer experience and brand loyalty.