You know, I used to think offline shopping and online shopping were like oil and water—completely different. On the one hand, there’s the joy of slipping into outfits and getting that perfect fit right there. On the flip side, you can’t deny the sheer comfort of couch shopping, even if it does come with the nail-biting wait for delivery and that whole gamble on fit and quality.
I mean, we’re all living in a world where time is gold. Everyone’s after something swift, something simple. And that’s where the Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) model steps in.
But what exactly is the BOPIS business model, and how can it elevate your fashion business to new heights?
This article discusses the Buy Online, Pick Up in Store model for fashion retail transformation. Read on if you want to upgrade your fashion business to satisfy modern shoppers.
What is BOPIS?
BOPIS, or Buy Online, Pick Up in Store, is the new normal of the fashion industry. It’s a shopping approach that combines offline and online experiences. Customers make their selections and purchases online but come to the store’s physical location for pickup. Sometimes, it can even be a designated pickup location.
BOPIS is a huge advocate of stress-free shopping both physically and emotionally. As a customer, you buy your favorite outfits and items from the comfort of your home. You achieve this using websites or apps. The customers picking up the items ensures accuracy.
It is safe to say BOPIS encourages efficient and effective shopping. It promotes convenience shopping. BOPIS represents a crucial strategy for fashion businesses. It aims to provide modern customers with a hassle-free and satisfying shopping experience.
It’s a great tactic for fashion companies that want to be successful in today’s fast-paced retail market.
How does BOPIS Work?
BOPIS exists to make the shopping experience stress-free for customers. Here’s how it works:
- Customers go to your website or app. There, they make their selection based on the available products. They proceed to choose a preferred time and pickup location. Real-time updates inform them when and where their items will be ready.
- The retailers fulfill the customers’ orders. If the chosen product is available in the store, they prepare it for pickup. Then, the customer is quickly informed via email or text. If the desired product is not in store, the retailer can choose to order from another warehouse. From there, it is made available to the chosen location.
- The customer then comes to the store to pick up the product. Or, a designated pickup point.
To ensure a smooth BOPIS experience, clarity is vital. Customers should receive clear order confirmations and concise instructions for pickup.
Benefits of Implementing BOPIS in Fashion Retail
The Buy Online, Pick Up in Store model offers several benefits. These benefits have transformed business operations. They include:
Increased Sales and Foot Traffic
BOPIS in fashion retail boosts sales. It affords customers the luxury of purchasing online and in-store pickup. The retailers have more interaction with the customers. Since it is online browsing, customers have a wide range of open options. As customers visit the store to collect their orders, foot traffic rises. It creates an opportunity to showcase other products. Also, since it is a physical pick-up, customers get the accurate items they ordered. This act ensures the return of such customers. It also goes ahead to attract new ones.
BOPIS attracts a wide audience. This increases sales and the store’s visibility.
Enhanced Customer Experience
BOPIS gives a great customer experience in the fashion retail industry. It offers a seamless shopping journey to customers by adopting features of online shopping. Customers can now sit in the comfort of their homes or offices to make a purchase. This saves them time and energy that they would’ve spent on queues.
Customers also enjoy the flexibility of choosing their preferred time and location. Also, real-time inventory updates ensure that selected products are available for pickup. It helps in avoiding disappointments. Such acts leave customers satisfied and happy. It gives them more reason to return to you as the retailer.
Improved Inventory Management
BOPIS in fashion retail facilitates inventory management. With online orders linked to specific stores, retailers can better gauge demand for different products across locations. Real-time inventory updates prevent overselling and stockouts.
It ensures customers find the items they desire. Excess inventory at individual stores can be quickly redistributed to meet demand elsewhere. BOPIS also enables stores to clear slow-moving items. They do this by promoting them for online purchases and in-store pickups. This optimization of inventory reduces carrying costs. It also minimizes waste and enhances overall efficiency in managing stock levels.
Reduction in Shipping Costs
With customers coming to pick up their items, the retail stores save money on shipping. This money can be channeled into other operations in the company. Aside from the store, the consumer also benefits. Aside from shipping charges, there are also delivery charges, which are eliminated.
It is safe to say that BOPIS is a financially viable option for both retailers and customers. It leads to increased satisfaction.
Building Customer Loyalty
BOPIS fosters customer loyalty in the fashion industry. It offers a convenient shopping experience. Retailers can win the trust and loyalty of their customers. The personalized service of BOPIS enhances customer satisfaction. It further creates a positive impression of the brand. As customers continue to enjoy the efficiency of BOPIS, they are more likely to become repeat buyers.
They may even become brand advocates. Integrating online and offline channels improves the relationship between the customer and the retailer, leading to long-term loyalty. It also solidifies the store’s place in the competitive fashion market.
Benefits of BOPIS to customers
The Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) model brings numerous benefits to fashion retail customers. Some of these advantages include:
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Time-saving
BOPIS offers customers the convenience of shopping from the comfort of their homes. This saves valuable time that would have been spent visiting physical stores. And even waiting in long checkout lines.
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No Shipping Costs
By choosing the in-store pickup option, customers cut shipping costs. This elimination results in significant savings. Shipping fees can add up, especially for multiple or bulky items. With BOPIS, customers can avoid these extra expenses, making their purchases more budget-friendly.
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Product Assurance
BOPIS ensures that customers have access to real-time inventory updates. This means they can confidently select their desired items online. There is a knowing that they will be available for pickup when they arrive at the store. It eliminates the frustration of discovering that a chosen item is out of stock after placing an order.
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Flexible Pickup Options
BOPIS caters to customers’ busy schedules and preferences. It provides flexible pickup options. Whether they want to pick up their orders on the same day or schedule it for a later time that suits them additionally, customers can choose a convenient store location for pickup. This makes the process more tailored to their convenience.
Challenges and Solutions of BOPIS for Fashion Retailers
There are a lot of benefits for Fashion Retailers using BOPIS. But there are also uncommon implementation challenges. So that’s what we want to talk about next. Let’s show you some of the various challenges and then teach you how to solve them.
Managing Real-Time Inventory
One of the problems with BOPIS for fashion retailers is managing inventory. Clothes have a tendency to fly off the shelves very quickly, making it easy to run out of stock. This is a problem as stores might not have the manpower to reflect all those changes on their online store. Leading to situations where people order and come pick up goods that are no longer available.
Solution: Advanced Inventory Management Systems
So how do you solve that?
Well, by implementing advanced inventory systems. Using things like automation and real-time inventory systems helps avoid this problem. This is because as items are bought, they get deducted from inventory. This means that people never have cases of ordering unavailable items.
Providing Speedy and Efficient Service
Another challenge that crops up is the inability to provide services properly. Dealing with people ordering online in a brick-and-mortar store makes you less efficient. Shuffling between the computer and the storeroom to fulfill orders leaves you slower.
Solution: Staff Training and Technology Support
The best way to solve this is by training staff and giving them good technical support. If you train your staff on how to best work on their tasks, you instantly improve their efficiency. Then, by providing them with tech support, you improve how fast they work.
Handling Returns and Exchanges
When people order online and then have to return goods, it poses a challenge for fashion stores. This is because they have to deal with making sure everything adds up. The need to confirm online orders in person means that, over time, mistakes get made.
Solution: Streamlined Returns Process
The only way to solve this challenge is to streamline your entire return process. From having a specific way all returns are processed to training staff for that task, A store needs to build a system they can use to consistently handle issues.
Sufficient storage capacity
Keeping items you sell online in a physical store means that you need a lot of storage space. This is especially true for fashion retailers. mainly because they usually sell the same items in a variety of sizes and colors. It means that they always need more space, especially if they are growing.
Solution: Store Redesign
So, how do you solve storage problems?
Well, what comes to mind first is buying or leasing more storage space. But if you can’t handle that, an alternative is to simply redesign. By changing how your store is built, you can open up more room to store items. Pair this with efficient service, and you have an unbeatable solution to the “low storage” problem.
Preparing Your Fashion Retail Business for BOPIS
There are various strategies you can use to grow your fashion retail business. One of these strategies is “Buy-Online, Pick-Up-In-Store” (BOPIS) and here’s how you can prepare your business for it:
Assessing Business Readiness
Can you handle inventory and infrastructure? Is your business able to fulfill orders? BOPIS cannot work without the necessary technological infrastructure put in place. That is—a user-friendly website that allows customers to order clothes without trouble. It goes hand in hand with inventory management to match product availability on the website.
A customer doesn’t want to order a dress, pick it up, and find it unready. Consider employee training. They can process, pack, and give outstanding customer service for pick-up. Also, the pick-up area should be well-organized and accessible.
Key Steps to Implement BOPIS
These are some key steps to implementing BOPIS in your fashion retail business.
- Customer communication: If you’re interested in implementing BOPIS in your business, communicating with your customers about it is essential. You can lay down information about how it works and indicate it as a delivery option during checkout. Also, keep them informed during the delivery process. You can send emails or notifications to customers when their orders are ready or not collected during the specified time.
- Omni channel software: BOPIS uses digital and physical channels for order management and fulfillment. Having these two databases in sync will be beneficial. You have to invest in proper technology that can merge digital and offline inventory, integrate sales data and keep track of the availability of goods. Inputting the option of BOPIS in your website or application and leaving information about it can guide customers on using it while ordering online.
- Pick-up area: Make sure to have a designated pick-up area for your customers with BOPIS orders. There should be a specified pickup counter or a section outside the store for drive-through pickups.
- Staff training: You can schedule a time to train your employees on BOPIS processes, order fulfillment and software. Return customers will increase if your personnel provide exceptional packaging and pick-ups.
Tips for a Successful Transition
Transitioning your fashion retail store to offer Buy-Online, pick-up-in-store requires careful planning and execution. Here are a few tips that can help you out:
- Start small, then scale gradually: You can test it in areas with high online density and order volume, allowing you to identify potential challenges and make the necessary adjustments before fully implementing them. You can gradually expand it when you can meet customer demand.
- Gather feedback: Gather feedback from customers and staff involved in the BOPIS process. Please pay attention to their ideas and suggestions. You can improve the overall experience of BOPIS by using this feedback to address issues. Also, a customer-centric approach will build customer loyalty.
- Promote the adoption of BOPIS: You can use incentives and promotions to attract more customers to use BOPIS. Offer discounts on clothing items and loyalty rewards for orders made through BOPIS to attract online shoppers to pick up in-store pickups, ultimately boosting its traffic.
- Customer Service: Communicate with customers throughout BOPIS. It installs confidence. You can hire personnel to provide excellent order selection, packaging, and pickup service. Friendly and knowledgeable staff will increase pick-up and encourage repeat business.
- Monitor Performance: Monitor the performance metrics of BOPIS to evaluate its success rate. Use this data for continuous improvements and make data-driven decisions.
How Third-Party Fulfillment Agencies Can Facilitate BOPIS Implementation
It’s easy to see how large the benefits of BOPIS can be for Fashion Retailers. But it’s also easy to see that it’s not something that’s easy to achieve. Luckily, it can be made easy. All you need is a good Third-Party Fulfillment Agency. So now let’s take a look at how a good fulfillment partner can speed up BOPIS implementation in your stores.
Scheduling and Checkout
A fulfillment agent helps you improve order scheduling and checkout. By piggybacking on their systems, you create a system where everything is in sync. This allows you to have real-time information and give it to customers and staff. Leading to faster and better scheduling and checkout systems. A good system like that of Globallyfulfill’s ERP system can help you manage the warehouse and ship directly to each store.
Order Prep and Staging
By gaining the ability to sync everything, a fashion retailer speeds up their order perp. The instant an order is made, the staff at pickup can get to work packing it for the customers. This improves the customer experience and retention rates.
Coordinating Customer Pickup
After orders have been prepped and scheduled, the next step is customer pickup. With third-party fulfillment partners, coordinating customer pickup is easier. By being able to give clear and concise instructions, you improve the customers’ overall experience when they pick up their orders.
Compliance, Feedback, and Upselling
Third-party fulfillment agencies allow you to implement feedback loops. They give you the tools you need to be sure you’re complying with all the major rules. They also help you create strategies to get feedback from customers after they are done. Giving you the information you need to improve your systems further.
Third-Party Fulfillment Agencies that facilitate BOPIS
There are a lot of Third-Party fulfilment agencies for different sorts of businesses. But the best one we found for facilitating BOPIS for fashion retailers is Globallyfufill.
First, a little about Globallyfufill.
Globallyfulfill is a top fulfillment service provider that specializes in the fashion sector. For companies looking to adopt BOPIS services, they help provide the way in. Their area of expertise lies in BOPIS solutions that help grow clientele, improve customer satisfaction, and maximize cost efficiency.
Globallyfufill facilitates successful BOPIS implementation in a variety of ways:
Inventory Management:
Globallyfufill provides powerful inventory management systems. This lets fashion retailers track their items across both online and offline channels. It guarantees that customers receive correct stock information and that things they buy online are available. This then helps improve the customers’ experience.
Efficient Order Fulfillment:
Globallyfulfill’s experience in fashion fulfillment means orders are quickly processed and made available. Their warehouses are well situated to reduce delivery delays, leading to a quick and dependable BOPIS experience.
Sourcing at Affordable Rates
Finding items at reasonable prices is essential in the fashion sector. It helps to maintain competitive prices and draw in money-conscious clients. Globallyfulfill uses its broad supplier network and relationships in the industry to find the best items at reasonable costs. This helps you provide competitive pricing without sacrificing quality.
Quality Assurance:
Globallyfulfill prioritizes quality. They make sure that the clothing is of the highest quality and complies with the requirements of your store. This dedication to quality ensures customer satisfaction and builds brand loyalty. Which, in turn, makes customers return and have favorable opinions.
Is BOPIS a strategy for you?
Is this strategy beneficial for your fashion retail business? BOPIS has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. This strategy has benefitted popular clothing companies such as Victoria’s Secret, Lululemon, etc. BOPIS has numerous advantages; it allows customers to shop from the comfort of their homes and get the items as quickly as possible, often the same day if the product is readily available. It also reduces the cost of shipping when the store is in a nearby location. Instead of packaging and sorting delivery, retailers prepare items for pickup, simplifying fulfillment. Customers can buy more items in-store when coming for pickup. It enhances customer control and brand loyalty.
This technique requires multichannel commerce strength. A store where clients can pick up their orders and a website where they may order online would help. To track apparel and demands, you need an inventory management system.
Customers want to know more about the garments they buy; therefore, the website must offer material, color, and size information. Poor clothes organization at the physical store can delay packaging and pick up, frustrating customers and hurting your business.
Smaller firms with fewer resources may find it harder to manage online and offline inventory. Security verification is needed to avoid fraud or unauthorized pickups. It prevents order mismanagement and protects client data.
As a business owner, this may be too much to handle alone, leading to Globallyfulfill. Globallyfulfill is a clothes fulfillment firm that can help your business grow and fulfill orders. The agency manages Inventory management and integration, order fulfillment, brand speciality, and storage space. Many e-commerce platforms integrate with Globallyfulfill to track orders and inventory. They also source new clothes with your preferred branding.
Conclusion
Alright, let’s wrap this up. The BOPIS model, or Buy Online, Pick Up in Store, isn’t just a passing trend—it’s redefining the way we shop in the fashion retail space. By hopping on this model, you will see a boost in sales, increased foot traffic, a better customer experience, and improvements in inventory management. Let’s not forget the cherry on top—cutting down those pesky shipping costs. And hey, customers aren’t left behind—they’re loving the control and convenience this method brings.
But remember, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
Retailers have a few challenges to iron out, like getting that real-time inventory on point and handling those inevitable returns. But, with solutions like slick inventory management systems, store redesigns, and third-party fulfillment agencies like Globallyfulfill in the mix, these obstacles become way more manageable.
So, if you’re a fashion retailer and BOPIS sounds like your cup of tea, make sure you’re prepped and ready. Assess your business, plan out your BOPIS game, and grab some expert tips for a smooth transition. At the end of the day, it’s all about evolving with the times and giving your customers what they want. So, ponder this: Is the BOPIS strategy right for you? If yes, then gear up, take the necessary steps, and ride the wave into the future of fashion retail.
