Will the Curbside Pickup Trend Stay on Even after COVID-19?

Many retailers had to shut their businesses for months owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Now that the government has lifted the lockdown restrictions, retailers are planning their marketing strategies to resume their businesses.

One of the major changes that the global pandemic has brought in the retail industry is the curbside pickup.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, many popular retailers and merchants had been using the online purchase and pick-up at store services. However, the growing cases of COVID-9 patients in the world have surged the demand for curbside, contactless delivery. Not only popular companies, but even small retailers such as Casper and b8ta have embraced this contactless delivery service.

According to recent research, more than 59% of customers are happy to accept curbside pickup post corona virus outbreak. 75% of people mentioned that they would love to continue shopping from online stores that offer curbside pickup delivery options.

What is the Curbside Pickup Trend?

Curbside pickup allows shoppers to order their desired grocery or other products online and make an in-store purchase. They don’t have to step out of the car to grab their ordered products. This delivery method is especially recommended for food businesses. Shoppers can place an order online and wait in their car until an employee from the restaurant brings their order and puts it in the car trunk.

Shoppers do not need to wait for days to get their ordered products. CVS, Target, and Nordstrom are some of the famous names that have embraced this effective and advanced delivery system.

An Ultimate Option for Shoppers and Retailers

Like grocery and food delivery app trends, the curbside pickup service is expected to stay post-COVID-19. For shoppers, this unique and safe method allows them to pick up their groceries, food, and other items on the same day and from the comfort of their car. For retailers, this method saves a lot of bucks on delivery personnel and transport cost. With the customers arriving near the restaurant or the grocery, the retailers do not have to deliver the orders to their homes.

Target has already seen the perks of curbside pickup service. However, one major issue with this trend is that it’s quite challenging for retailers to handle a large volume of orders at a time. Besides, store owners need to select a pick up location, which is suitable for their store and customers. You can’t just allow your shoppers to stop at the entrance and make it difficult for other customers to enter and exit the shop.

Some of the important strategies retail stores and restaurants can follow

• Third party delivery to help keep the economy alive
• Promoting the concept of limited workers
• Mitigating businesses from shutting down
• Online orders & delivery promoting social distancing
• Helping employees
• Delivering both food & groceries together

A Convenient Shopping Experience

Curbside pickup service is not the latest trend. In fact, it has been around for a while. However, it has gained popularity recently. Surprisingly, it isn’t only until the COVID-19 pandemic lasts. The trend is going to stick around for good. It offers a great level of comfort to the shoppers. Now that product delivery is completely contactless, it increases your safety. Considering the current situation, customers expect a contactless and safe transaction.

Curbside pickup is convenient since customers no longer have to walk into the store with bags. It is the best option for those who can’t wait for product delivery. Retailers can identify customers with the license plate or beacons. Now, how the process can be streamlined and optimized for efficiency is up to retailers.

Bottom Line

Curbside pickup services seem to be the future of grocery shopping. With more and more retailers adapting to this delivery trend, it goes without saying that curbside pickup will become the best delivery solution for all brick and mortar stores.