At the peak of COVID-19, Kibo clients saw a 563% increase in Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) orders. These figures indicate just how important new flexible online-to-store fulfillment was during the pandemic; in many cases, it allowed businesses to keep their doors open during a financially perilous time.
While BOPIS became a hot option during 2019 holiday shopping, it was a truly necessary element in delivering products to customers during shelter-in-place orders. Even with a more than 5X increase in demand for BOPIS, with a peak in May of 890,579 orders, our clients were able to confidently rely on Kibo for their fulfillment needs.
Our data shows just how quickly our retail clients were able to pivot to provide new fulfillment options to their customers. Total orders reached their highest rates in May with a total of 1,876,520, which was 194% above the same time last year.
The following trends in particular show that the rise in orders and new fulfillment options might have peaked in Q2, but are still going strong even as people return to stores:
- 563% YOY increase in BOPIS in April, and a 554% increase in May, compared to a 374% YOY increase for June
- 193% YOY increase in all online orders in April compared to a 183% YOY increase for June (despite a lessening in BOPIS demand)
- A significant reduction in BOPIS order share in the month of June…
- …which is compounded by 2019 data showing that BOPIS share of total orders rose during the same juncture last year
It’s important for retailers to watch trends in ordering and fulfillment region by region. While states are nearly all opening back up now, there are still limits on store capacity and hours. Additionally, it is unclear if COVID-19 cases will start to increase again in the fall. By reacting quickly to these changes, retailers can address rising demand and retain customers with reliable, flexible order management.
As illustrated by our data, it’s become an essential part of doing business today.
Quickly Pivot To Touchless Pickup
Meet your customers’ order fulfillment needs with a flexible Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) solution.nnThough we’re months into the crisis, it isn’t too late to ensure that your fulfillment infrastructure can respond to changing demands.