Other findings from the study, entitled Unified Commerce and the Customer Experience, include:

• 17% of retailer apps displayed in-store inventory quantities
• 37% of apps allowed shoppers to designate someone else to pick up a purchase
• 30% enabled text notifications
• 50% had store signage for BOPIS
• 75% had orders ready for pickup within 24 hours

The e-tailing group shopped at 30 major retailers that offered in-store pickup or reserve and evaluated 85 metrics on the omnichannel experience. This experience began with evaluation of retailer apps to gauge their ability to facilitate fast shopping in advance of the store visit, followed by an evaluation of timely and accurate communication with the consumer once the order was placed. Finally, the in-store experience was reviewed to grade how well retailers used signage, in-store technology and the power of the store associate.

“In-store pickup is a popular fulfillment option, but it can be difficult to get right from start to finish,” says Jennifer Sherman, senior vice president for product and strategy at Kibo. “Advanced retail commerce technology, store associate training and engagement, and communication with the consumer all need to work together to provide the seamless experience consumers expect.”

Sherman says, “It was very surprising to find such a small number of the retailers surveyed attempted to save the sale when an exchange or return was requested. This is just one area of improvement retailers can focus on. Our goal with this study is to give retailers a clear checklist of what they must provide during the in-store pickup experience, as well as areas of opportunity for them to shine above the competition.”

Source: Kibo