What is customer collection preferences?
Customer collection preferences describe how, where and when shoppers choose to receive an order. Buy online pickup in store (BOPIS), also called click and collect, is the most common option. Customers purchase products online and collect them from a physical store at their convenience.
Many U.S. retailers use BOPIS to combine e-commerce convenience with immediate physical fulfillment, including Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Home Depot.
How does BOPIS differ from traditional shipping?
Traditional shipping requires warehouse operations, carrier coordination and multi-day transit.
BOPIS fulfillment happens locally and uses in-store inventory. It enables same-day or next-day pickup and removes shipping delays and costs.
What are the business benefits of BOPIS in retail?
BOPIS delivers benefits across customer experience, operations and revenue. It:
Improves customer satisfaction, since shoppers receive products right away instead of waiting for delivery, which suits customers who live or work near a store
Increases sales by offering flexible fulfillment options, with pickup at the store and time of the customer's choice
Reduces shipping costs by using store inventory and local fulfillment
Drives store traffic and revenue, since customers visit for pickup and often buy additional items
Gathers valuable customer data on purchase timing and preferences
Provides a competitive advantage in an omnichannel retail market
Make every pickup count
How technology supports customer collection preferences
Offering collection choices only works when the system knows what each store has and can promise it accurately. An order management system (OMS) coordinates inventory, orders and store teams so a pickup promise holds.
An OMS supports customer collection preferences by:
Syncing inventory across point of sale, warehouse and e-commerce systems to prevent oversells and stockouts at the store
Orchestrating BOPIS, curbside pickup, ship-from-store and returns through a single rule-based engine
Giving store associates guided mobile workflows for faster, more accurate order preparation
Routing each order to the closest or best-suited location to protect margin and speed
Keeping customers informed with accurate order status from placement through pickup