New holiday shopping rage: ‘Buy online, pick up in store’

RALEIGH – Consumers and retailers are gearing up to cash in on the latest trend in shopping as the holiday season begins: Buy online, pick up in stores.

Advertising professionals have already coined an acronym -BOPIS – and “bopus” is shaping up as one of the emerging trend setters for Black Friday 2019, according to a new study from software giant Adobe.

Signs of the growing popularity for buyers and dollars for retailers are evident just about anywhere. You’ve most likely noticed the growing number of ads on TV, parking places and special checkout lines for the latest modification of drive-thru lanes.

From groceries to toys, cut to the front of the linewhile you keep listeing to your digital music stream.

In its annual holiday season forecast, Adobe is predicting that BOPIS orders are going to surge 39 percent from 2018 while overall shopping demand looks to grow by 4 percent.

That means 37 percent of consumers “are planning to use BOPIS this season,” Adobe predicts.

Adobe graphic

And why are retailers remodeling parking lots to meet the demand?

Profit.

A whopping 82 percent of BOPIS shoppers are “likely to shop for additional items when picking up their online order,” Adobe says.

Retailers are projected to increase revenues by 10 percent through the BOPIS legions.

Plus, consumers are 19 percent more likely to close a buy – or “covert” in eocmmerce language – in the week before Christmas if a store offers the BOPIS option.

As for consumers who aren’t interested as a online buyer/pick up in person right now, you likely will be as shopping time dwindles.

“BOPIS share of revenue is anticipated to double during the week before Christmas as panic buying sets in,” Adobe says.

You might want to “BOPIS” right now and avoid the rush.