How is Curbside Pick-up saving the Retail Industry during the Pandemic?

Have you been seeing the phrase “curbside pick-up” more and more during the past couple of days? It has recently become a trend in the industry and more and more retail companies have started doing it.

But first things first, what’s curbside pick-up?

Curbside pick-up refers to an option where customers make their orders online and then picks it up in the store. Brands are providing this as an option in order to provide faster and more convenient shopping during the pandemic. This is also sometimes referred to as “click and collect” or “BOPIS (Buy Online Pick-up In Store). It’s an option that pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic but has surged by 208% in the past couple of months according to market research.

Who’s doing curbside pick-ups?

Curbside pick-up is an option retailers worldwide provide to their consumers. Among the popular retailers who have enabled curbside pick-ups are the likes of: Target, UniQlo, and Marks and Spencer. In the Philippines, brands like: Zoo Label, Adidas, Decathlon, Watsons, and many more have jumped on the trend by enabling “click and collect” in their webstores. And it seems like many more brands are following in their footsteps as omnichannel experience becomes an absolute necessity for businesses to stay alive during the new normal.

Okay, but how is it saving the retailers during the pandemic?

Because of the pandemic the retail industry has (not surprisingly) experienced a big dip in terms of sales and revenue. PRA has shared that the Philippines’ retail industry alone has experienced a 30-50% decline as a result of the pandemic. As such, retailers are finding a way to cope with this decline. They’re coming up with different solutions like promotions, sales, and this includes convenient shopping experiences such as “curbside pick-ups”. In fact, Target, through curbside pick-ups alone was able to cope with the pandemic and was able to earn around USD 1.6 billion, helping sustain their operations and contribute to an astounding USD 1 billion growth of the company. Another company, which through its curbside pick-up and omnichannel efforts, was able to reach an incredible quarterly target is Dick’s Sporting goods, with an increase of 20% in their sales prior to COVID-19.

What now?

The pandemic has caught everyone by surprise and has brought a lot of change and challenges. But it’s also brought a lot of innovation and technological solutions that shows the resilience of people. According to experts, those who will continue to innovate and find ways to provide omnichannel experiences for their markets will be the ones capable of surviving this pandemic. That said more innovative solutions will surely come our way, and until then, all we can do is ride with the change and come up with ways to cope with the new normal.

Can my business allow curbside pick-ups?

You can start now. There are a lot of solutions available in the market to help enable you to do the aforementioned strategies. Curbside pick-ups is definitely a good way to begin. If you want to learn more about it, learn more about click and collect, here.

You can also talk to us directly, and we’ll be happy to guide you through it. Just leave your email and we’ll get in touch with you.