What Is Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS)?

An omnichannel fulfillment option where a customer orders online and picks up at a store.

Buy Online Pick Up In Store An omnichannel fulfillment option where a customer orders online and picks up at a store. This fulfillment mode — commonly abbreviated as BOPIS or click-and-collect — combines e-commerce ordering with physical retail pickup to reduce last-mile costs and shorten delivery times while driving store traffic.

At its simplest, BOPIS lets a customer complete a purchase on a retailer's website or app, choose a nearby store as the pickup location, and then collect the item from that store at a scheduled time or during store hours. The store acts as a mini-fulfillment center: inventory is reserved, an associate locates and stages the order, and the customer presents identification or an order confirmation to complete the handoff.

How The Flow Typically Works

After a customer places an online order and selects in-store pickup, the retailer's systems reserve the SKU at the selected location and create a pick task. Store staff pull items from shelf or backstock, stage them in a designated pickup area (curbside locker, counter, or front desk), and mark the order ready. The customer receives a pickup notification and presents a confirmation code or ID at collection.

Why Retailers Offer It

BOPIS addresses several retailer objectives: faster fulfillment without paying third-party delivery fees, reducing cart abandonment by offering a zero-shipping option, reclaiming fulfillment capacity by using stores as distributed inventory nodes, and increasing incremental in-store sales when customers pick up items. It also supports product returns and exchanges, creating a physical touchpoint that strengthens customer relationships.

What It Typically Requires

• Inventory Visibility: Accurate, near-real-time stock levels at the store to avoid out-of-stock promises.
• Order Routing: Logic to determine whether to fulfill from store, warehouse, or a ship-from-store option.
• Store Processes: Clear SOPs for receiving, picking, staging, and notifying customers.
• Customer Communication: SMS/email notifications and a reliable pickup authentication method.
• Physical Space: A dedicated pickup counter, lockers, or curbside staging area to keep flow efficient and secure.

How It Varies By Retail Format

Large-format retailers with plentiful backroom space can stage multiple orders and support high BOPIS volumes; small boutiques may limit pickup to pre-scheduled one-hour windows or offer only in-store collection due to space constraints. Grocery retailers add temperature-controlled staging; apparel retailers often include simple try-on policies or easy exchanges at pickup.

Common Operational Challenges

Inventory accuracy is the most cited failure point: an item sold online but not available on the shelf damages the customer experience. Pick time SLAs and notification timing also matter — long waits at pickup defeat the speed advantage. Security and fraud prevention (matching IDs or dynamic passcodes) must be balanced with a frictionless pickup experience.

Performance Metrics Retailers Watch

• Fill Rate: Percentage of BOPIS orders fulfilled without substitution or cancellation.
• Time To Ready: Median time between order placement and when an order is staged for pickup.
• Pickup Completion Rate: Share of ready orders that are collected within the expected window.
• Incremental Basket Lift: Additional spend by customers who pick up orders in-store.

Practical Example

A regional electronics retailer routes online sales to the nearest store with stock. Orders placed before 2 p.m. are picked the same day; later orders are staged the next morning. Pickup customers get an SMS with a dynamic four-digit code. Stores dedicate a single register lane for BOPIS handoffs to avoid queues and track incremental accessory sales at pickup.

Tips For Starting Small

• Pilot In High-Traffic Stores: Start where footfall and SKU breadth can justify dedicated pickup space.
• Limit SKUs Initially: Offer BOPIS for fast-moving, easy-to-pick items while refining processes.
• Use Clear Signage And Communication: Make the pickup process and required ID obvious to customers.

In short, the Buy Online Pick Up In Store model bridges online convenience and physical retail capability. With correct inventory visibility, simple store workflows, and precise customer communication, BOPIS reduces delivery cost, speeds fulfillment, and drives incremental in-store revenue while meeting consumer expectations for flexible fulfillment.