BOPIS stands for Buy Online, Pick Up In Store. A shopper pays on your website and collects the order at a store, usually within hours. It works when the right store has the item, the pickup spot is easy to find and the shopper can tell which stores offer it before they pay.
This guide covers how BOPIS works, why shoppers use it, how to set it up and how a store locator helps people find the stores that offer it.
Related: How to increase foot traffic | Store locator examples | Location page design | Pickup point and parcel locker locator
The short answer
- BOPIS is a fulfillment method, not a software product. Your online store takes the order and routes it to a store. Staff prepare it and hand it over.
- It brings a shopper through your door and removes the shipping cost for both sides.
- Start with one pickup counter and a few stores. Add curbside and lockers once the basics run smoothly.
- Stock accuracy decides whether shoppers trust it. Live stock per store comes from your commerce platform and point of sale.
- Tell shoppers which stores offer pickup, with hours and instructions, on the product page, at checkout and on your store locator.
What does BOPIS mean?
BOPIS stands for Buy Online, Pick Up In Store. The customer completes the purchase online and collects the order at a physical location.
You will also hear:
- Click and collect, the common term in the UK and Europe
- In-store pickup, the generic term
- BOPAC, Buy Online, Pick Up At Curb, the curbside pickup variant
How BOPIS works
- The customer shops online on your website or app.
- They choose "Pick up in store" and select a location.
- They pay online.
- The store prepares the order. Staff pick, pack and stage it.
- The customer is told it is ready and arrives to collect it.
- Many add something in store. The visit is a second chance to sell.
Shoppers get the product without waiting for delivery, without the risk of a missed parcel and with a chance to see it before they take it home.
Why shoppers use BOPIS
Two reasons show up in the research. In Capital One Shopping's BOPIS statistics roundup, 77% of consumers say a primary reason is to see an item before taking it home, and 48% of US BOPIS consumers use it mainly to avoid shipping fees. The same page reports that 85% of US BOPIS shoppers have made an additional purchase when they went to the store to collect an order.
Other reasons are easy to see from the shopper's side: faster than delivery, no parcel left on a doorstep, and an easy exchange if something is wrong. Market figures for BOPIS vary by source. For more, see Fit Small Business's BOPIS statistics and a Research and Markets release on click-and-collect market growth.
Benefits for retailers
- More store visits. Every pickup order is a visit, and the store itself becomes a marketing channel.
- Extra purchases. A shopper collecting jeans walks past the accessories and the new arrivals.
- No shipping cost on the order, because the customer does the last mile.
- Fewer returns. The customer can inspect the item and swap it on the spot.
- Use of store stock. Items that sit on shelves can fill online orders.
- A point of difference. Many small and mid-size retailers do not offer pickup, or offer it clumsily.
Challenges and how to solve them
Inventory accuracy
BOPIS only works if the item is at the store the shopper chose. A purchase followed by "sorry, out of stock" costs trust.
Fix: sync stock between your online store and each store's point of sale. If you cannot sync in real time, hold back a buffer and only offer pickup on items that are comfortably in stock.
Order preparation time
Shoppers expect fast preparation. Many retailers promise a stated window such as same day or within a couple of hours. Whatever you promise, tell the shopper at checkout.
Fix: a person or shift responsible for pickup orders, a clear preparation routine and an automatic message when the order is ready.
The pickup experience
A confusing or slow handover cancels the convenience.
Fix:
- A pickup area near the entrance, not at the back
- Signage that says where to go, visible from the parking lot
- Lockers or a curbside option for people who do not want to go in
- Staff who know how to check an order quickly
Showing which stores offer pickup
Shoppers need to know before they pay which stores offer pickup. Without that, they leave at checkout or turn up at the wrong store.
Fix: show it in three places: the checkout store selector, the product page, and your store locator with a filter for pickup stores.
How to implement BOPIS
Step 1: Check your readiness
- Inventory: can you see stock by store, in real time or close to it?
- Platform: does your online store support store pickup? Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and Magento do.
- Staff: who picks, packs and stages orders?
- Space: is there room for a counter, shelf or lockers?
Step 2: Choose a model
| Model | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| In-store counter | Customer walks in, shows confirmation, collects | Most small and mid-size retailers |
| Dedicated pickup area | Marked section with signage and staff | Busier stores |
| Pickup lockers | Customer gets a code and opens a locker | Contactless, high volume |
| Curbside | Customer parks, notifies the store, order is brought out | Convenience-focused retail |
| Drive-through | Dedicated pickup lane | Fast-service retail |
Most retailers begin with the counter and add curbside later.
Step 3: Set up your online store
- Store selector at checkout so customers choose their pickup location
- Stock by store where your platform allows it
- Order routing to the chosen store
- Notifications by email or SMS when the order is ready
- A way to mark an order as collected
Step 4: Train the team
- Fast, accurate picking and packing
- Checking identity without friction
- A friendly mention of a current offer at handover
- What to do when an item is missing or damaged
Step 5: Set up the pickup area
- Near the entrance, so shoppers do not cross the whole store
- Signage from the parking lot and inside
- A staging shelf for prepared orders
- A counter or kiosk to check the order
- Parking spots marked for pickup, where you have the space
Step 6: Make pickup stores easy to find
Add a pickup filter to your store locator, put pickup hours and instructions on each location and link the locator from checkout and product pages.
BOPIS and your store locator
When a shopper picks pickup, the first question is which store near them offers it. A locator with search, distance sorting and a pickup filter answers that quickly. A flat list of stores at checkout does not.
A locator should show for each pickup store:
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Proximity search | The nearest pickup stores come first |
| Service filters | "In-store pickup", "Curbside", "Same day" |
| Hours | Pickup hours can differ from store hours, so say so in the details |
| Directions | One tap to the route |
| Pickup instructions | Where to park and where to go |
| Phone number | For questions about an order |
Live stock per store lives in your commerce platform and point of sale. Shoppers usually see it on the product page or at checkout. A StoreRocket locator shows which stores offer pickup, not their stock.
Large retailers show how this looks. Target lists "Drive Up" and "Order Pickup" as services on its locator, and Best Buy shows the nearest store with a pickup time on the product page.
Where StoreRocket fits
Your online store takes the orders, tracks stock and manages pickups. StoreRocket gives shoppers a locator for your own website where each location can carry filters such as "In-Store Pickup" or "Curbside", custom fields for pickup instructions, opening hours with an Open Now status in the store's own time zone, and a route that opens in Google Maps. Filters and custom fields are available on every plan. Analytics, on plans that include them, show where people searched, which helps when you decide where to offer pickup next. See pricing.
Best practices
Communicate at every step
- Confirmation with the store, hours and directions
- Ready notice by email or SMS when the order is staged
- Reminder if the order has not been collected after a set time
- Follow-up asking for feedback
Measure what matters
Track these for your own stores and set your own targets:
- How long orders take to prepare
- How long a shopper waits at pickup
- How often pickup visitors buy something extra
- Satisfaction scores for pickup
- Pickup as a share of online orders
Start small, then scale
- Pilot in a few busy stores and work out the kinks.
- Ask customers what works and what frustrates them.
- Refine the process on real feedback.
- Roll out to the rest.
- Add curbside once the counter runs smoothly.
Promote it
- Product pages: "Pick up today at your nearest store"
- Cart page: "Skip shipping, pick up for free"
- Store locator: a pickup filter and a short note on each pickup store
- Email: "Skip the shipping, pick up in store"
- Google Business Profile: add in-store pickup as a service attribute
Where BOPIS is heading
- Better stock prediction. Retailers use data to place stock where pickup orders are likely.
- Mobile wallets speed up checkout.
- Self-service lockers let customers collect with a code and no queue.
- Micro-fulfillment. Some stores convert backroom space to prepare pickup orders faster.
- Locators that show pickup stores clearly, with hours and instructions, as pickup becomes standard.
StoreRocket gives retailers with several locations a store locator for their own website: import your locations from a spreadsheet, match it to your brand and paste one embed code. Create your locator with a free trial, no credit card needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does BOPIS stand for?
Buy Online, Pick Up In Store. A shopper buys on your website and collects the order at a store. The same idea is called click and collect in the UK and Europe.
How long does BOPIS usually take?
It depends on the retailer. Many promise a stated window, often the same day, and tell the shopper when the order is ready. Whatever you promise, state it at checkout and keep to it.
Why do customers prefer BOPIS over delivery?
Common reasons are avoiding shipping fees, seeing the item before taking it home and getting it sooner. Capital One Shopping's roundup reports 48% of US BOPIS consumers use it mainly to avoid fees and 77% to see the item first.
Does BOPIS increase in-store sales?
It gives shoppers a reason to visit and a chance to add something while they are there. The same roundup reports that 85% of US BOPIS shoppers have made an additional purchase when they went to the store to collect an order. Your own numbers will differ, so measure extra purchases at your stores.
How do I show which stores offer BOPIS?
Use a store locator with a pickup filter. Mark each pickup store, add hours and pickup instructions and link the locator from checkout. StoreRocket supports filters and custom fields on each location. Stock and orders stay in your online store.
Is BOPIS worth it for small retailers?
Often, if you already have an online store and staff in the shop. It saves shipping and brings shoppers in. Even a single-location store can offer it through its e-commerce platform. Start with one pickup counter and see how it runs.