Enhancing the Holiday Retail Experience for Customers and Associates

It’s that time of year again. The holidays are a time for retailers to put their best foot forward by hiring additional staff to meet the high demand of holiday consumers. Despite the ever-looming presence of Amazon, research shows that traditional brick-and-mortars will have a fighting chance at success. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that Retail sales, a measure of purchases at stores, restaurants and online, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in November from a month earlier to $513.5 billion, slightly exceeding economists’ expectations.
According to National Retail Federation (NRF), it expects retail sales in November and December to increase between 4.3% and 4.8% over the year-ago period, or to about $717.5 billion to $721 billion. This may be attributed to the convenience of snagging deals without moving from your seat. As shopping on mobile devices has increased so as BOPIS (up 46% from last year).
Retail apocalypse? No way! Traditional brick-and-mortars still have a fighting chance, but retailers are not only looking to meet their customers’ expectations but also to enhance efficiency as staff becomes overwhelmed with in-store and BOPIS shoppers.
As last-minute holiday shoppers rush to get their lists crossed off, having BOPIS is an option that has been resonating with customers. Why? It’s the uncertainty of whether or not the package will arrive on time to make it under the tree. However, it’s not exactly a breeze with BOPIS retail lockers. Two-thirds of consumer stated that their BOPIS experience was smooth. It’s no surprise – especially during the holidays 0 that associates get overwhelmed, orders are buried, and customers are still waiting in line!
Enter the solution: With an additional fulfillment option like Parcel Pending’s electronic lockers, your associates will be able to better interact with in-store shoppers. Customers can pick-up packages within seconds. This will create a more premium experience for in-store and BOPIS shoppers leading to increased customer loyalty and sales. With BOPILTM (buy online, pick-up in locker), it’s a guarantee that last-minute shoppers are in and out and there’s peace of mind.
While online shopping has become an easy way to order holiday gifts, consumers are still wary of the ever-present threat of porch pirates. Now more than ever, consumers are looking for ways to protect their holiday orders. In 2017, more than 25 million holiday packages were stolen by porch pirates. With the influx of online shopping, that number will continue to increase.
All in all, Parcel Pending offers a safe and secure approach for shoppers to seamlessly retrieve their orders. And retailers don’t mind the added foot traffic!