Transform BOPIS into a Revenue Driver

In 2020, BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store) grew 195% compared to the previous year, according to a survey from Adobe.

COVID-19? Yep.

But the critical takeaway for retailers today isn’t about making that connection. It’s about understanding an evolving customer who realized that BOPIS is easy and convenient, even when the world isn’t shut down by a global pandemic. 

“Why didn’t I do this my whole entire life?” 64-year-old Mary Alft rhetorically asked the Wall Street Journal about her discovery of BOPIS in 2020.

Her thinking wasn’t uncommon. BOPIS sales continue to grow for retailers and restaurants. BOPIS revenue, estimated at $129.36 billion in 2024, will reach $509.4 billion by the end of 2033, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com. The BOPIS market size is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 16.45% between 2025 and 2033, outpacing the overall e-commerce growth rate.

So how do retailers meet this increased demand with a great customer experience that drives revenue growth? We have some thoughts.

Seamless BOPIS customer experiences

The first step for upgrading your BOPIS experience? Understanding it’s fully a part of your branded store environment and your unified commerce program — 34.2% of shoppers already use it, and that number is certain to grow.

So BOPIS deserves strategic thinking and execution just like all other critical customer touchpoints, including design, branding, customer journey development and signage/décor/specialty fixture solutions.

Walmart located Elm Springs, Arizona. Store team members load up a car with groceries for a curbside pickup order—fast, easy and contact-free!

In fact, it’s a full integration of your digital (buy online) and brick and mortar (pick up in store) experiences, as well as your omnichannel branding and operational efficiency. Optimizing the BOPIS experience is certain to yield an uptick in sales, as 85% of BOPIS shoppers make additional purchases during pickup.

Location and locations: High‑visibility, branded pickup zones

Balance speed and convenience with multiple, well-designed pickup processes supported by intuitive wayfinding and elevated branding, which foster brand connection and repeat business.

And know that BOPIS isn’t one thing.

Exterior BOPIS areas for customers who don’t want to leave their cars? Yes. BOPIS areas inside the store that provide waiting customers targeted, impulse-buy merchandise? Yes. BOPIS smart lockers where customers can easily pick up items at their convenience without any in-store interaction? Yes. Store associates ready with mobile point-of-sale systems that allow them to assist BOPIS customers from anywhere in the store? Absolutely.

Micro Center located in Tustin, California.  Micro Center came to Miller Zell to develop industry leading shopper and associate experiences using strategic store design and digital solutions, eliminating friction along the path to purchase. 

You also can empower your loyal customers with a shopping app that makes it easy to access these options after making an online order. This includes a potential opt-in, location-based store mode that guides customers toward their products without friction.

Yet BOPIS isn’t just about easy, efficient order fulfillment. It’s also a process that provides customer satisfaction with online and in-store experiences. It makes the customer feel competent and valued, which inspires an openness to positive engagement that leads to new sales and brand loyalty.

That drives revenue gains.

Convenience boosts basket size, upsells

A positive and efficient experience encourages repeat BOPIS usage. Reducing wait times and making the process hassle-free builds customer loyalty.  

How do you add to the experience?

For one, via your mobile app or SMS alerts, provide personalized, relevant product recommendations based on customers’ present orders, order histories and local store availability, prompting potential last‑minute add‑ons before BOPIS customers even arrive. Embed store maps and QR‑code triggered “Pick Up Here” wayfinding in your app to guide shoppers straight to the pickup zone, thereby minimizing wait time and shop-mission friction and maximizing opportunities to see nearby upsells.

Once in-store, provide BOPIS customers engaging visual content in the waiting and pickup areas, which can promote other products and services, potentially leading to additional in-store purchases. Again, this is seamless digital integration, with your store app and in-store digital signage providing real-time order updates alongside Retail Media Network (RMN) content that promotes seasonally relevant products or discounts or related material.

Chick-fil-a located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The large branding elements and digital signs grabbed attention from those walking along the sidewalk. The signage communicated clearly how to queue and pick up orders, whether they were made via mobile phone or in person.

Using “smart lockers” with potential off-hours access? Offer seasonal gift wrapping or add coupons or time-sensitive offers or pursue partnerships with adjacent retailers to provide moments of surprise and delight — “Ready for the weekend? 10% off Starbucks Friday morning!”

Sometimes BOPIS customers aren’t in a rush. Consider adding comfortable furniture with convenient charging stations to your BOPIS areas, or even coffee, drink or snack offerings, which just happen to also be available for purchase. Create specific in-store promotions for BOPIS customers. Clearly communicate these offers through email confirmations, in-app notifications or signage at the pickup counter. Train staff to highlight these incentives during the pickup process.

Encourage BOPIS customers to spend more time browsing your stores, increasing the likelihood of additional unplanned purchases. This bridges the gap between the online and physical experience and drives revenue gains.

Collect data, improve experience, grow sales

Retail reinvention and innovation never stop. Just as BOPIS today is different and more valuable than it was in 2019, so will BOPIS evolve during its certain growth over the next decade.

Behind the scenes, retailers will face logistical, operational and inventory management challenges to meet growing customer demands. Long wait times, poor service and stockouts won’t be tolerated.

Analyze what engaged customers and what didn’t and try to personalize the experience, potentially with the help of AI. Start with sales data and other analytics but also ask for associate feedback about their experiences with BOPIS customers. Triangulate toward what’s next to continually improve your BOPIS customer experience.

By treating BOPIS as a strategic sales channel — with its own branded spaces, digital integrations, staffing model and experiential elements — you turn order pickups into incremental selling opportunities.

Each touchpoint becomes a chance to surprise, delight and increase basket size, transforming “click‑and‑collect” into a high‑value growth engine.