Curbside delivery – it’s not just a trend; it’s here to stay. In 2024, ignoring curbside delivery is the equivalent of ignoring the internet in the ’90s.
We’ve seen revolutions in retail before, but curbside delivery redefines convenience for the digital age. The concept is simple, your purchases meet you at the curb, eliminating store visits and their inherent hassles.
If you’re wondering “What is curbside delivery?”, you’re in the right space. This guide will uncover what your competition already knows and leverages, the transformative trends, and the future scope of curbside delivery that you can’t afford to ignore. Dive deeper into “What constitutes threshold delivery?” and discover another efficient delivery solution changing the face of retail.
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Understanding Curbside Delivery: The Future of Retail
Curbside delivery is reinventing the retail industry.
It simplifies the buying process.
It streamlines businesses and benefits customers.
Defining Curbside Delivery: A Quick Overview
Curbside delivery stands at the intersection of traditional brick-and-mortar shopping and online e-commerce. It’s a retail service trend where customers place an online order from a local retail store or restaurant and collect it at the store’s curbside at the selected time. The curbside delivery service trend offers consumers a cheaper alternative to home delivery and is a convenient option for customers who prefer not to enter physical stores. Discover how curbside delivery revolutionizes traditional shopping methods, providing an efficient alternative to direct store delivery for both retailers and consumers.
Majority of Big Retailers Provide Curbside Pickup:
Over 50% of large retail chains offer curbside pickup.
How Curbside Delivery Works: A Step-by-Step Guide
The curbside delivery work process can be broken down into four crucial steps: order placement, order preparation, customer notification, and order pickup.
Step 1: Placing the Order
The curbside delivery process initiates when a customer places an order online, either on the business’s website or using their mobile application. It includes selecting products, adding them to the cart, choosing the ‘curbside pickup’ option at checkout, and making an online payment. Instead of standard delivery or in-store pickup, the customer opts to receive the order in their parked car in the store’s parking lot.
Step 2: Preparing the Order
Upon receiving the online order, the store associate selects the items from the retailer or store inventory and prepares the order for pickup. They ensure all items are adequately packed and ready for delivery, including any additional purchases the customer may have made. The goal is to prepare the order for pick-up quickly and efficiently, reducing wait times for the customer when they arrive.
Step 3: Customer Notification
Once the order is ready, the customer receives a notification through a text, email, or an in-app message with a unique access code to confirm their identity. The message may also provide instructions for where exactly to park and how to inform the store of their arrival.
Step 4: Order Pickup
When the customer arrives at the location of the store to pick up, they park in the designated ‘curbside pickup’ area and notify the store either by responding to the original notification or calling the store. The store employees wait for the customers’ arrival and use the unique access code to identify them. The delivery person brings the order out and places it in the customer’s vehicle, ensuring a seamless experience.
Grocery Shopping Transformed 🛒
In 2022, 52% of digital grocery sales were picked up rather than delivered.
By breaking down these steps, businesses can identify opportunities to improve their service, enhance the customer experience, and ensure the company’s entire process is seamless right from placing an order to picking it up. The use of inventory tracking and staff training can help ensure a smooth process for customers and optimize the company’s labor force.
The Benefits of Curbside Delivery: Why It’s a Game Changer
* It’s tailor-made for today’s customers, eliminating the hassle of shopping and waiting in lines.
* It’s a step forward in safety, minimizing contact in cars, our new normal.
* It’s a pragmatic step for businesses, trimming unnecessary delivery expenses.
Convenience for Customers: No More Waiting in Lines
Curbside pickup and delivery offer customers a convenient way to shop without entering the physical store. By allowing customers to order online and pick up their orders at a selected time, curbside pickup streamlines the process and eliminates the need to wait in long lines. Customers are happy with its convenience, and businesses can save money on staffing and other expenses.
Convenience and Profit Altogether:
Nearly 70% of respondents described takeout/curbside pickup as either “very” or “extremely profitable.
Increased Safety: Minimizing Contact in a Post-COVID World
Curbside delivery roots itself in the nucleus of an ongoing issue — health and safety. As communities around the globe grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, curbside delivery swoops in as a contactless retail solution. Discover the benefits of curbside delivery, a form of delivery without direct contact, and see why it’s becoming a preferred option for both businesses and customers alike.
From Niche to Necessity:
While Walmart introduced curbside pickup in 2013, the service witnessed explosive growth during the pandemic.
Curbside delivery offers a unique solution to the ongoing health and safety issue. Allowing customers to pick up their online orders, at the curb, minimizes contact and reduces the risks of spreading diseases like COVID-19. Curbside delivery provides a safe and convenient option for customers who are concerned about their health and safety.
Curbside Pickup Trends in Top Chains Amidst COVID-19:
In early 2020, 6.6% of the Top 1000 chains provided curbside pickup, which rose to 8.1% by mid-2020, shortly after COVID-19 emerged in the U.S.
In fact, 85% of shoppers have increased curbside pick-up since COVID-19.
Cost-Effective for Businesses: Reducing Delivery Expenses
A pivotal benefit that lures businesses into embracing curbside delivery is the potential for stores to save on delivery costs. It mitigates the need for the dash of home deliveries or the infrastructure to facilitate multiple in-store pick-ups. Instead, it organizes orders into defined pick-up slots that theoretically, are more streamlined and cost-effective.
The Power of Curbside Pickup 📈
Curbside pickup has led to an additional buy-rate of up to 45%.
Shoppers' Preference: Curbside Over In-Store 🛍️
42% of consumers prefer curbside pickup over in-store purchases.
While it certainly doesn’t erase all logistical costs, curbside does provide an alternative that can wield less financial pressure on businesses. Retailers can then reallocate the saved resources towards enhancing other aspects of their operation.
Avoiding Extra Fees 🚫💸
47.4% of consumers opt for curbside pickup to avoid paying shipping fees.
Implementing Curbside Delivery: A Guide for Businesses
Choosing the Right Technology: Apps and Software for Seamless Operations
Integrating curbside delivery into a business starts with utilizing the right digital tools. A seamless transition to curbside delivery leans heavily on selecting appropriate technology – specifically mobile apps and software. But it’s not enough to merely have the tech, understanding how to best utilize these tools is just as crucial.
One of the primary objectives is to create a frictionless purchasing process for your customer. Checking out must be as simple as a few taps on a smartphone screen.
Furthermore, the technology selected needs to provide real-time updates. Customers value knowing when to expect their order, and the ability to do so can significantly improve their experience.
Training Staff for Curbside Delivery: Key Skills and Protocols
Proper staff training is another essential element of implementing curbside delivery. The employees’ ability to handle the physical delivery and the customer’s experience can make or break the success of this service.
Firstly, the training should heavily focus on customer service. A tranquil, seamless experience will increase the likelihood of the customer using the service again. Staff should be trained to keep the customer informed about the delivery process, handle the goods with care, and solve any problems efficiently and professionally.
Secondarily, there are many safety protocols that the staff should follow during curbside pickup work and delivery to ensure both their safety and the customer’s. Social distancing measures, protective clothing, and cleanliness standards should be all part of the training process.
Marketing Your Curbside Delivery Service: Attracting and Retaining Customers
Lastly, marketing the new curbside delivery service effectively is vital for its success. Transparent communication of how convenient and safe this service is can attract new customers and assure current ones.
Leverage social media channels, email newsletters, and your website to communicate the launch of the curbside delivery service and its benefits, and maybe even throw in a discount code for first-time users.
Customer Demographics of Curbside Delivery Service:
61.9% of millennials, 54.2% of Gen Z, and 32% of Gen X consumers used curbside pickup for online purchases.
Maintaining relationships with customers through marketing is essential to keep them coming back. This can be achieved by implementing a functional system to gather feedback, routinely offering promotions, and personalizing the customer experience.
Curbside Delivery vs. In-Store Pickup: What’s the Difference?
Understanding In-Store Pickup: How It Works
In-store pickup has become a staple service for countless businesses worldwide due to its convenience factor. Customers place their orders online and then collect their goods at an agreed-upon local store location. In most cases, the order is prepared in advance, minimizing customer wait times. This method allows businesses to streamline their service delivery while also offering cost savings, as customers take on the responsibility of transport.
However, it is vital for brick-and-mortar stores offering this service to operate efficiently. Time slots and manpower must be allocated appropriately, making sure that the right product goes to the right customer at the correct time. It’s a tenuous dance that can pay off with the right song and dance routine.
Comparing Curbside Delivery and In-Store Pickup: Pros and Cons
When comparing methodologies, curbside delivery, known as BOPIS (Buy online, pick up in-store), offers a slew of benefits. This service is convenient on steroids where the customer simply parks and waits for the order to be brought out to them. It delivers a personalized experience while maintaining contactless transactions – especially beneficial in a post-pandemic society. Looking for a more upscale delivery option that ensures your items receive the utmost care right to your doorstep? Discover the elegance of premium white-glove delivery services perfect for those special purchases.
E-commerce Pickup Options Shift: Curbside Surges:
In 2022, curbside pickups for eCommerce purchases surged by 66% compared to the previous year, outpacing in-store pickups by sixfold during the same timeframe.
On the other hand, in-store pickup, though inviting in its operational simplicity, doesn’t offer the same level of convenience. Customers are required to leave their vehicles and, at times, face long queues or navigation complications.
Restaurant Choices Influenced by Convenience 🍽️
37% of US consumers say the availability of curbside pickup influences their restaurant choice.
However, it’s not all about taking – in-store pickup does have its pluses. Customers have the opportunity to add-on purchases and businesses benefit from the increased foot traffic, hence showcasing their goods and customers happy too shop there.
On balance, both options have merits, and the most suitable choice often hinges on the individual needs of the business and its customer base.
The World's Largest Pickup Market:
The US has the largest pickup economy in the world.
That being said, the implementation of either, does come with its own set of challenges. And this is where this guide stands ready to arm you with the guidance needed to make these services a winning proposition for your venture.
What to expect when adopting curbside pickup or in-store pickup?
When integrating such services, considerations such as customer notifications, item availability checks, and coordinating the pickup queue or curbside pickup orders and service are critical. Maintaining a seamless experience from online order placement to the in-store pickup or curbside delivery finale is the key to success. Your customers expect exceptional service no matter the platform they order online, and it’s up to businesses to step up their game. Discover the advantages of rapid delivery services and why choosing swift shipping options like express delivery might elevate your business’s customer satisfaction levels.
Both are no doubt, excellent alternatives to traditional online shopping or delivery methods, but understanding their strengths and drawbacks will help make the decision that best suits your operation and customer preference.
The Future of Curbside Delivery: Trends to Watch in 2024
Consumer Behavior Trends: What Customers Want from Curbside Delivery
In the modern commerce space, the new king isn’t just content, it’s convenience. Add in a touch of speed, and you have the modern customer’s expectation from a delivery service.
Balancing the tightrope walk of convenience and speed, two significant customer behavior trends stand out. The first is the surge in demand for rapid deliveries, often within the hour, which major retailers and restaurants are readily offering.
Meanwhile, the second trend is the escalating demand for contactless delivery, driven by concerns over health and safety. Virtual payments, pre-scheduled deliveries, and designated pickup points are becoming standard features in delivery operations. Discover the safety benefits of no-contact deliveries and understand why an increasing number of restaurants and stores are opting for this approach.
Industry Predictions: How Curbside Delivery Will Evolve in the Coming Years
Curbside delivery has secured a critical role in the retail landscape. But as the next few years unfold, the industry is predicted to evolve in diverse, yet potentially impactful, ways. Explore how the future of retail is being reshaped! See the transformative effect of delivery by drones on our shopping experiences.
Over 53% of US Population to Embrace Click-and-Collect by 2024:
According to Emarketer, the number of click-and-collect buyers in the US will rise to 150.9 million in 2024, representing 53.1% of the population.
For instance, e-commerce is expected to lead the way, birthing new requirements for delivery services. Efficient reverse logistics, handling product returns, will likely become just as important as quick delivery.
Future of Retail: Growing Click-and-Collect Market 📊
Click-and-collect sales are poised to grow by 18.1% year-over-year to $113.19 billion.
Further, as urban populations continue to grow, curbside delivery could morph to overcome challenges such as congestion and emission regulations. The probable solution? Delivery companies’ hub networks, feature central locations for pickups and returns.
Finally, sustainability is anticipated to rule streamlining curbside delivery in future. Eco-friendly vehicles, solar-powered drones, and carbon offset deliveries might be the next big step in curbside delivery.
Future-Proofing Your Business with 2024’s Curbside Delivery Trends
The rise of curbside delivery, consumer expectations for speed and convenience, and tech-enabled seamless transactions are your map to navigating the changing retail and restaurant landscape.
These trends aren’t fleeting fads. They are valuable insights woven into the very fabric of a successful contemporary business operation.
It’s time now for retailers to channel this knowledge into action. Revisit your curbside delivery processes, integrate technology where needed, and foster an always-current, ever-convenient delivery experience for your customers.
Could your business benefit from leveraging AI technology for curbside delivery? What part of the process would you upgrade first?
And remember, crafting an innovative curbside service delivery system is not about keeping up with the times, it’s about defining them.
