How Retailers Are Leveraging Electronic Lockers to Boost Their Omnichannel Strategies

Today, customers are engaging with brands across multiple touchpoints, both online and offline, also known as omnichannel retailing. Omnichannel retail is a strategy that aims to provide a seamless shopping experience across all channels, ensuring consistency and cohesion throughout the customer journey. Omnichannel retail strategy goes beyond the traditional multichannel approach by focusing on creating a unified brand experience regardless of which platform the customer is using to engage with the brand. Strong omnichannel retail strategists understand that interactions with a brand can happen through different channels like the brand’s website, app, social media, physical store, and more. Overall, the ultimate goal of an omnichannel strategy is to eliminate silos and provide a consistent experience regardless of the channel used.

Buy Online, Pick-up In-tore, or BOPIS, has become another channel in the customer experience over the past few years. Now, many retailers are looking to deliver an even more seamless shopping experience with the help of electronic lockers.

BOPIS and Electronic Lockers

BOPIS and electronic lockers are two retail trends that have made a significant impact on omnichannel shopping. In the last six months alone, 67% of American shopper used BOPIS and 75% who have used BOPIS say they are likely to make additional BOPIS purchases. This is just the tip of the iceberg, folks. The consumer trend towards buying online, and picking up in store (BOPIS) is making great strides in the retail space, and retailers are poised to answer the call for effective BOPIS methods. In fact, many retailers like Whole Foods, Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and more are leveraging electronic lockers to up their omnichannel BOPIS retail operations game. Below is a few examples of how they are doing so:

• Revving up revenue. Recent data from advertising firm inMarket shows that “micro” visits (AKA three to five minute trips to the store) are increasing in retail stores like Whole Foods that provide electronic lockers. In fact, these types of visits were up 11% in Whole Foods compared to 7% in stores that did not have lockers. Micro visits can help boost in-store sales as customers can be motivated to make an additional purchase in-store while picking up their online order.
• Driving traffic in the door. More foot traffic equates to more opportunities to market to and encourage customers to buy something. Kohl’s is just one example of a retailer that has experienced a boost in foot traffic thanks to electronic parcel lockers. In fact, the retailer had a 12% increase in foot traffic after installing return centers. Additionally, Kohl’s is more likely to experience a boost in sales due to this increased foot traffic.
• Elevating the customer retail experience. According to Dick’s Sporting Goods, their recent pilot install of electronic retail lockers has tremendously improved their BOPIS experience. The way it works is simple. Their customers place an order online and then they conveniently pick up their goods from the lockers located inside their stores. Customers can even do so within an hour of placing their online order! Also, customers do not need to ask the retail staff for assistance. Instead, they can quickly and easily pick up their orders without having to wait in line or ask for help. According to Dick’s, “This is just one example of a new agile approach we are taking to optimize our omnichannel experience. This improved shopping experience will also become a core part of our marketing efforts going forward.” Similarly, WalMart notes that with their electronic lockers there is “No more, ‘Hey is there someone that can help me?’ The machine is open here 24 hours a day. They just simply come in and pick it up.” Overall, electronic lockers provide a better customer experience.
• More marketing opportunities. Macy’s offers their customers a 20% in-store discount as a reward for utilizing their electronic parcel lockers. This type of incentive helps to get their customers into Macy’s twice – once to pick up the online order and then again to make use of the 20% savings coupon. There are countless ways that parcel lockers can help retailers market to their customers and providing a 20% discount coupon is just one effective example.

The Future of the Retail Industry

In today’s digital world, an omnichannel retail strategy is crucial to creating a seamless customer experience. This involves identifying and adopting retail trends that are proven to enhance omnichannel retailing. Retailers that fail to adopt technological advances will undoubtedly lag behind.

Simply put, electronic lockers are the future of retailing; they are a powerful tool for building retail brands that keep pace with modern customer needs. As the retail industry changes and consumer behavior shifts to online shopping, it’s imperative that retailers stay on top of trends to improve their supply chain, maximize profits, and offer exceptional customer engagement.

How are lockers helping you improve your omnichannel strategy? Comment below.