With Curbside Pickup, Will Every Retail Business be a Digital Business?
A fascinating new trade article in Retail Wire cites a 208% increase in curbside pickup for stores in April compared to just a year ago. Additionally, a survey of retailers found that 44% offered curbside pickup—and a third of retailers not offering curbside pickup were racing to get the service up as quickly as possible.
What’s more, consumer surveys indicate that this may be the “new normal” even after the coronavirus pandemic subsides. The benefits of curbside pickup are plentiful—no need to wait in checkout lines, no more frustration from in-store navigation, or scouring the aisles for products. With major chains like Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gap, and Kohl’s all adopting curbside pickup after forced store closures, it certainly looks like this trend might be here to stay after the pandemic is over.
What does this mean for the new relationship with customers? More information about customer preferences? Less emphasis on in-store merchandising and much more focus on the website and digital marketing?
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