Hands taking our a package from a shipping locker

The benefits of BOPIS: Exclusive study reveals online shopping preferences – from purchases to returns

Summary

We recently commissioned an online survey of over 2,000 American adults regarding buy-online-pickup-in-store expectations and preferences. Here's what they had to say.

Read time: 3 minutes

Ever wonder:

  • How long are shoppers willing to wait to pick up a purchase before ordering from another retailer?

  • What motivates shoppers to use lockers to receive or return their online packages?

  • What are the benefits of buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS)?

We recently commissioned an online survey of over 2,000 American adults to find those answers. Here are some of the results of The Harris Poll and the vital insights gained.

Delivery vs. pickup – how long are shoppers willing to wait for online purchases?

American shoppers weighed in on how long they were willing to wait to pick up their online purchase — either in the store, curbside, or from a locker — before deciding to order from another retailer or just have it shipped. Here's what they said.

Only 20% of customers are willing to wait more than eight hours

Convenience is key when it comes to online shopping. We asked consumers if they were willing to wait eight hours — the equivalent of an average workday — to receive their packages. The results indicate that 20% are willing to wait more than eight hours before ordering from another retailer or having it shipped.

One in four Americans (25%) would be willing to wait two to four hours to pick up online purchases before deciding to order from another retailer or have it shipped, while 14% of Americans say they’d only be willing to wait less than two hours.

Related Content: eBook: Retail convenience, redefined

76% of shoppers would consider using a locker to return online purchases

Smart locker benefits: retailers can reduce wait times with intelligent locker solutions

Giving shoppers the option to pick up their purchases in less than eight hours can make or break a sale. Retailers can quickly implement customizable, secured, click-and-collect e-commerce locker solutions in a small store footprint.

Retailers considering secure, smart, or intelligent locker solutions can team up with local convenience or grocery stores to tackle the issue of extended hours and locations.

An intelligent locker system offers shoppers the ease and flexibility of buying online along with fast, low-touch pickups minus the high shipping costs. What’s more, freight, delivery, and fuel savings allow retailers to reduce expenses and emissions, which can contribute to corporate sustainability efforts.

Explore and discover intelligent locker solutions for retailers

77% of shoppers would consider using a locker to receive online purchases

Smart lockers change opinions. We learned that more than three in four Americans (77%) would consider using a locker to receive online purchases. Today's retailers offering lockers as an option to receive or return online purchases have an advantage.

There were other factors to consider too. Our survey showed that convenient location (53%) and convenient hours (50%) top the list of features that would motivate Americans to choose lockers to receive online purchases.

What are smart locker benefits?

The benefits of smart lockers — sometimes referred to as intelligent lockers — allow retailers to:

  • Offer a more secure, efficient, and confidential way to pick up or return online purchases

  • Create a flexible, convenient, and elevated customer experience

  • Provide a contactless pickup and return solution which can help solve labor challenges

When asked what factors would motivate American consumers to use lockers to receive online purchases, the top results included the following:

  • Avoiding lines at retail locations or shipping providers – 40%

  • Secure receipt such as not having it intercepted or lost in the mail – 35%

  • Not having to interact directly with a person, for example, customer service staff – 26%

As retailers manage labor challenges, it’s interesting to note that not all shoppers may want to interact with customer service staff or store associates. Knowing that consumers prefer options, offering a locker for purchase pickup is a win-win for both the retailer and the customer.

Ricoh’s Harris Poll Online Retail Study takeaways

76% of shoppers would consider using a locker to return online purchases

In addition to using lockers to pick up purchases, retailers offer lockers as an option to return online purchases. Our Harris Poll study shows that over three-quarters of Americans (76%) would consider using a locker to return online purchases.

To dig deeper, we found that the following locker features likely motivate shoppers to choose lockers to return their online purchases. As with receiving a purchase, convenient location (52%) and convenient hours (46%) top the list of features that would likely motivate shoppers to choose a locker to return their online purchases.

Similar to preferences expressed for pickup, other factors likely to motivate shoppers to choose lockers for returning online purchases include:

  • Avoiding lines at retail locations or shipping providers – 41%

  • Secure receipt such as not having it intercepted or lost in the mail – 41%

  • Not having to interact directly with a person, for example, customer service staff – 27%

Why retailers partner with Ricoh

Ricoh offers best-in-class, end-to-end services, solutions, and support that enhances and elevates every step of the retail ecosystem.

Unlock the power of information to unleash the power of connected commerce.

Survey Method: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Ricoh from November 1-3, 2022, among 2,041 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. Read more.

Recommended for you

Can augmented reality (AR) in e-commerce help retailers?
Can augmented reality (AR) in e-commerce help retailers?

Can augmented reality (AR) in e-commerce help retailers?

How do Americans feel about using augmented reality in e-commerce when making purchasing decisions? Can it help reduce online returns? See how Ricoh helps retailers.

Global Footwear Retailer
Global Footwear Retailer

Global Footwear Retailer

A global retail footwear giant reduces costs by $5.1 million annually through business process services, multifunction printers and digital records management.

Major Global Retailer
Major Global Retailer

Major Global Retailer

See how Ricoh helped a major retailer add wow factor to the customer experience with Intelligent Lockers for consumers who buy online and pick up in store.