“Keep on running.” ― How this sportswear company increased its sales to 110% after using this hybrid shopping system! [Thursdays: FYO!]
Add to cart…
Check out…
Order is confirmed!
– – –
Online shopping has been a booming trend for both retailers and customers nowadays.
Usually, when a consumer orders a particular product online, he or she will wait for a few days (depending on the location of the store) to have the item delivered at home.
While this makes shopping convenient and less time-consuming, some customers do not like waiting for days before they get their hands on their orders.
Here’s another form of online shopping that’s been attracting hype for business owners and marketers:
BOPUS―Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store strategy!
This system lets brands or businesses optimize omnichannel experiences to boost online and in-store profits.
Here’s how BOPUS works:
- Customers order online. Shoppers purchase goods online via a brand’s mobile app or website. On the checkout page, consumers can choose the date, time, and pickup location.
- Businesses prepare the items for pickup. An in-store staff gets notified about the items ordered online and packs them. Once the products are ready for pickup, the customer receives a notification via email or text message.
- Customers pick up their packages. Shoppers get their orders in-store or at a designated pickup location. This may also be a curbside pickup option where a customer drives to the storefront and receives his or her order while remaining inside the vehicle.
Let’s take a look at how one brand uses BOPUS to boost its online presence and increase its in-store sales…
TC Running is an American brand that offers running shoes and sportswear.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 98% of the brand’s sales came from in-store interactions.
When the health crisis forced TC Running to close its physical stores in March 2020, the company knew it had to shift to online―fast.
One of the things TC Running did to adjust to such change?
It built an omnichannel flexibility using the Shopify POS (point-of-sale) software to constantly connect with customers in-store, online, and anywhere in between!
Through the Shopify POS software, TC Running was able to:
- Make all of its inventory available online.
- Launch a membership program by integrating a subscriptions app from Shopify.
- Keep revenues on track despite the COVID-19 lockdown.
- Start a BOPUS shopping system on its website.
According to Jeff Bull, TC Running’s Brand Director:
“We were just trying to get our heads around what this was, how long it was going to last―and how to make it as easy as possible for customers to get products.”
Integrating BOPUS on its website was one of the company’s ways to show that it remembers and values consumers even when they’re not shopping at the physical store.
What results did this shopping system yield for TC Running?
As stated in an article from the online marketing agency NP Digital, TC Running’s sales skyrocketed to growing by 110% every month since the launch of its omnichannel website in March 2020!
Plus, when TC Running slowly reopened some of its physical stores, the company reported that about 20% of customers bought additional items in-store when they arrived to pick up their online orders.
That’s another contribution to sales!
Thanks to the BOPUS system, TC Running was able to retain genuine customer experiences through digital interactions.
What are some of the benefits your business can experience by using the BOPUS strategy?
Increase in online traffic.
BOPUS helps drive traffic to your brand’s website and increase the number of downloads for your mobile app if you have one.
For example: If online users see your sponsored ads as they scroll through their social media feed and they become interested about your product, clicking on your ad will direct them to your brand’s website or encourage them to download your app.
If all the elements of your website and mobile app are working efficiently for a good user experience (UX), consumers will be encouraged to:
– Subscribe to your online channels
– Buy the products you offer
– Convert into your brand’s loyal customers
– Recommend your brand to their family and friends
When these things happen, you have more opportunities to reach a wider network and send promotional content to boost your brand’s visibility online!
Increase in sales.
BOPUS helps boost sales by encouraging customers to buy additional products in-store when they pick up their packages.
According to conversion rate optimization (CRO) website Invesp, around 75% of BOPUS shoppers are likely to make an additional purchase.
On top of that, 67% actually buy additional items in-store when picking up orders!
This means you get another opportunity to upsell your products and increase purchases!
Better customer experience.
Think about buying the products you need and want with just a touch of a button.
That’s one of the advantages of online shopping―CONVENIENCE!
With BOPUS, you can take your customers’ experiences to another level of convenience.
How?
By enabling them to order online, then simply pick up their orders in-store!
Imagine not having to make your customers fall in line at the cashier counter to pay for the things they need. That’s a lot of time and energy saved!
Aside from that, when shoppers arrive in-store to get their packages, they have an option to look for other products that interest them or get their inquiries immediately answered by staff members.
It’s important to note that the only thing about buying additional products in-store is that you’ll have to line up at the cashier counter to pay for the items… yet, customers still do it. If that’s not a good example of customer satisfaction, we don’t know what is!
Quick returns and exchanges for defective products.
Let’s face it. As a business owner or marketer, you know there could be possibilities of a customer returning a product because it didn’t meet his or her expectations.
The good thing is…
With BOPUS, you and your customers can immediately inspect the ordered items and process exchanges and returns in-store should there be any defects.
That’s a lot better compared to shipping back your order and waiting for a few more days for the return to be processed!
To summarize the benefits you can get from the BOPUS strategy:
Increase in online traffic + boost in sales + better customer and user experience (UX) + an efficient return and exchange policy = A seamless shopping experience for consumers and a boost to your brand’s online and offline profits!
Just keep in mind that you also need appropriate resources to launch the system successfully such as a designated pickup location, hassle-free online shopping experience, and real-time inventory management system.
While it may take time to get these elements together, the benefits you reap will be worth it in the end.
How will you use BOPUS for your brand?
Consider this strategy now and see how it will yield positive results for your brand’s online and in-store traffic!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: FYO! Find You Optimization”
Why should you stop thinking SEO and start thinking FYO?
We’re not saying that you should abandon Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Don’t get us wrong, of course, we know this is something very important, especially in today’s digital marketing age.
The internet landscape is vast, and a world of its own. You really need to distinguish yourself and make your brand/company/website known and easily searchable.
Better yet, get to the top of page one for Top Results on Google or any other search engine.
However, what is the purpose of SEO? It’s that customers Find You!
That’s what matters. So, while SEO is one factor of FYO… it really is only one, and we ought not to abandon all the myriad of ways digitally and offline for improving your FYO.
How can we look at this from a different and better perspective?
Let’s say you have it in the bag! You and your team are experts in SEO. Awesome. But did you ever wonder what else you could do to push it further and give your SEO skills a boost?
FYO! Find You Optimization!
You need your target audience to FIND YOU—your brand, product, service, or offer. This is SEO plus other tools that increase visibility online (and offline).
Every Thursday, we publish content on how you can get your target market to find you, beyond the typical “type and search.” There are other things you can do along with your SEO to give your online advertising process a boost.
Try considering other tactics beyond it—WOMO (Word Of Mouth Optimization), RO (Referral Optimization), and “All-Other-Means-Of-Getting-Your-Target-Market-To-Find-You” Optimization (AOMOGYTMTFY, if you’d like a long acronym).
Part of a great marketing strategy is knowing how to adapt new methods and make use of different types of marketing and promotion that best fit your business goals and which give you the results you want.
Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s FYO!
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by Valens Research
www.valens-research.com
