Curbside Pickup Vs. In-Store Pickup: What are the Differences?

Online grocery’s popularity is booming. Within the next two years, grocery ecommerce will become the highest-selling ecommerce category in the U.S. Customers flock to online grocery stores for many reasons:

✅ They’re convenient

✅ Save time

✅ Give customers more control over their shopping experiences

Additionally, exercising control over their grocery shopping journey by choosing newer fulfillment methods like curbside pickup and in-store collection leads to a more rewarding and positive customer experience. 

Unlike traditional delivery, where customers place an order online and receive it at their home, curbside pickup and in-store collection involve meeting customers halfway at a location that they prefer. 

To tackle the challenges of online grocery delivery, you need to understand how curbside pickup and in-store collection work and determine if they are the right fulfillment methods for your store. 

Curbside pickup and in-store collection: A fresh approach to order fulfillment

Online grocery has grown beyond simply delivering orders placed online. There is a demand for alternative fulfillment methods from customers who are ready to make a trip to the store but still want to experience the convenience of shopping online.

Curbside pickup and in-store collection are two order fulfillment options that create a hybrid digital and physical shopping experience.  

Thinking of online grocery delivery in purely digital terms can limit the number of sales your store makes. Instead, taking a “phygital” approach allows you to engage with more customers on their preferred terms.

Let’s look at the definition of curbside pickups and in-store to see how they give online grocery stores more options to convert customers.

What is curbside pickup?

Curbside pickup is a fulfillment method that started gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

So, how does curbside pickup work?

In this method, a customer places an order online and then travels to a designated pickup spot to receive their order at a specified time.

As the store owner, it’s your job to ensure that the customers’ curbside pickup orders are bagged and ready to go and that customers can conveniently receive their orders without even having to set foot in your store.   

Pros and cons of curbside pickup

Curbside pickup works like a drive-through grocery collection station. Using this approach to fulfill online orders has its innate advantages, such as:

• Saving on labor costs associated with completing deliveries
• Reducing crowding inside the store
• Allowing contactless delivery, which, in turn,  increases employee and customer safety
• Saving time as customers don’t have to wait in line

In spite of all the benefits of curbside pickup, it does have some disadvantages. These are:

• Customers do not enter the store, so there’s no chance of them making additional impulse purchases
• Item availability needs to be updated in real-time, which requires an efficient grocery ecommerce platform
• Staffing and operating a curbside pickup station during peak business and traffic hours can be difficult

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What is in-store pickup?

In-store collection is an alternative fulfillment method that saves customers time while making a grocery shopping trip.

It’s the perfect method to convert customers who are willing to visit a brick-and-mortar store but don’t want the hassle of browsing shelves or scanning them at the counter.

So, how does in-store pickup work? 

Customers simply select items from the store’s grocery ecommerce app, pay for them online, and then travel to the store to pick up the bagged items from a dedicated counter.

This saves their time and also reduces the congestion at checkout lines in the grocery store. Another name for in-store collection is also the Buy Online Pickup in Store (BOPIS) method.

Pros and cons of in-store collection

Along with sales, in-store collection is also a useful way of handling returns for online orders. This flexibility of application is just one of the benefits of in-store collection, which also includes:

• The ability to have face-to-face interactions with customers
• Better odds of customers making impulse purchases while in the store
• No need to hire extra staff for delivery or curbside operations

Despite its appeal, there are also some drawbacks to the in-store collection method. These include:

• It’s more time-consuming for customers as they have to enter the store and wait in line
• The in-store pickup counter can only operate during business hours
• In-store pickup only works smoothly when backed by an efficient grocery ecommerce platform

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Key differences between curbside and pickup in-store 

If you run an online grocery store, it’s always better to offer customers more options for delivery. Both curbside pickup and in-store collection can boost sales for your store.

Before you choose either or both of them, you should understand the differences between the two. 

• Customer experience: Curbside pickup is the faster option, as in-store pickup can be more time-consuming for customers. However, in-store pickup allows for more personalized customer interactions.
• Budget: Curbside pickup is usually more expensive since it requires additional staff. Meanwhile, in-store collection can be handled by employees working the checkout counters. 
• Store layout: Curbside pickup works best for stores with convenient vehicle access. In-store collection requires enough space to accommodate any lines that may form. 

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Grocery ecommerce solutions to enable curbside pickup and in-store collection 

Regardless of their differences, curbside pickup and in-store collection share one thing. They can only work for an online grocery store if an efficient grocery ecommerce platform supports them.

Providing customers a streamlined digital-to-physical shopping experience will encourage them to buy from your store again.

An effective grocery ecommerce platform will also let you easily control every aspect of the curbside and in-store shopping experience.

From efficient inventory management to smooth customer experience and convenient payment methods, every step of the process can be optimized to ensure the best results.

Both curbside pickup and in-store collection can benefit your store. Reduced labor costs, increased profits, and faster service make fulfillment methods attractive to customers and store owners.

Implementing curbside pickup, in-store collection, or both is a reliable way to boost sales and engagement for your online grocery store.