Amazon promotes local selling by offering BOPIS and delivery from local vendors

Amazon recently launched their “local selling” initiative where the platform will be a marketplace for sales and payment, but the retailers in the stores would do the order fulfillment. 

Amazon holds a massive market share of 50% in the US itself. Even the global market share of Amazon is enormous.  

With its latest leap in the “Buy Online, Pickup In-store” (BOPIS) market, we can see an increased demand for local deliveries.  As of now, this facility is limited to specific zip codes but will surely evolve with time.  

This initiative is quite valuable for businesses that sell fragile and perishable goods that need extra care and quicker deliveries. 

The click-and-collect market produced double the sale last year, and we can see at least 150.4 million people making the purchase this year too. 

What are the benefits of having a BOPIS model on Amazon?  

There are too many advantages of opting for in-store pickup both for retailers and shoppers. Let’s dive in. 

For Retailers: 

1. Increased customer traffic: Buyers opting for in-store pickup would visit your store and create opportunities for generating add-on sales. In fact, 49% of shoppers that opt for in-store pickup make additional purchases. 

2. Increased digital orders: Customers are interested in buying from brands that have short delivery timelines. So, incorporating BOPIS leaves no space for contemplation, bringing in more orders. 

3. Zero cost marketing- Businesses spend so much of their time and money attracting customers to visit their stores. However, when a buyer opts for in-store pick-up, retailers get to flaunt their offers and win over their trust.  

For Buyers: 

1. Same-hour delivery: Ever thought of getting your orders this fast? No, right! But, BOPIS makes it possible. With in-store pickup and local deliveries, you can get hands-on your order in less than an hour.  

2. No shipping cost- When you opt for in-store pick-ups, you save a lot of your money on delivery charges. Here, you just pay for the order and that’s it. It’s super-convenient and gives instant gratification.  

3. Easy returns- Initiating a return is always a hassle. You ideally have to send back your order to the seller and wait for them to send it again. If we had to calculate, you spend at least twice the amount of time to get a replaced order, assuming that this one was up to your expectations. But while you order through BOPIS, returning items are easy and on the spot. 

How can Octopus facilitate Retailers in offering BOPIS and curbside pickup? 

Octopus offers a dedicated solution for retailers looking to scale their businesses from a brick-and-mortar store to selling through online platforms, including Amazon.  

A retailer can utilize Octopus by connecting the in-store point-of-sale system with his online store. Presently, Octopus connects 30+ POS options with Amazon. 

With Octopus, retailers can easily incorporate the BOPIS model and get customers walking up to their retail stores.  

The software automates manual workflow to ensure that sellers aren’t spending most of their time updating inventory. It simplifies the buying process and gives retailers a competitive edge over others.  

Thousands of retailers are already using Octopus Bridge to run their online stores; when are you making the shift?