SPECIAL REPORT
By Victoria Kickham, Contributing Editor
Astruggling retail market poses a stiff threat to the brick-and-mortar store, but salvation could come from omnichannel practices such as “buy online,
pick up in store” (BOPIS) and “buy online, return in
store” (BORIS), industry experts say. Tying e-commerce
fulfillment to the physical storefront could breathe new
life into retailers’ physical outlets, which are ripe for
change in an era when convenience rules the shopping
experience.
For evidence, look no further than BOPIS trends. A
recent survey by supply chain software developer JDA
Software Inc. revealed a steady 44 percent increase in
BOPIS adoption since 2015, highlighting the changing
role of the physical store. “While there has been specula-
tion of a ‘retail apocalypse,’ that doesn’t seem to hold true
for consumers,” said Jim Prewitt, vice president of retail
industry strategy at JDA, in a statement accompanying
the release of the company’s “2017 Consumer Survey.”
“No longer the only channel for shopping, brick-and-
mortar stores are still a key cornerstone for a quick and
easy shopping experience and the facilitator for popular
fulfillment options, like buy online, pick up in store and
buy online, return in store.”
Such trends present challenges and opportunities for
retailers as they continue to hone their omnichannel
strategies. Challenges include aligning warehousing and
logistics functions with customer service needs, an issue
that requires a sharp focus on improving back-of-store
operations. Opportunities include maximizing add-on
sales at the point of pickup or return, an issue stores can
address by providing incentives to use BOPIS and BORIS
services.
In either case, experts say the brick-and-mortar store
is anything but on its way out. “Not everything is done
online, although it gets most of the attention,” says Scott
Deutsch, North American president for E+P, a global
provider of supply chain software solutions for logistics
management. “We sometimes forget that less than 10
www.dcvelocity.com NOVEMBER 2017 DC VELOCITY 37
“BOPIS” AND “BORIS” OPTIONS BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO
BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORES AS BUYERS SEEK CONVENIENCE
ABOVE ALL ELSE IN TODAY’S OMNICHANNEL ENVIRONMENT.
CONVENIENCE DRIVES BUYING
TRENDS IN AN OMNICHANNEL WORLD
