Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS), buy online, return in store (BORIS), and same-day pick up have moved from optional conveniences to baseline retail expectations.
According to NRF, more than half of U.S. shoppers now use BOPIS regularly, and adoption continues to rise as consumers prioritise speed and flexibility. What started as a pandemic-era solution has become a permanent part of how customers expect to interact with physical stores.
For retailers, supporting these fulfilment models is no longer about adding another service. It requires building an operational foundation that can handle higher-order volume and faster turnaround times without increasing costs or friction. This is what they will need to support modern-day retail pick up and returns.
Real-time Inventory Accuracy
Inventory accuracy is the foundation of every successful omnichannel strategy. BOPIS and same-day pickup depend on customers trusting that an item shown as available online can actually be fulfilled by a nearby store. When inventory data is inaccurate, retailers face cancelled orders, poor customer experiences, and wasted labour.
IHL research shows that inventory distortion, including out-of-stocks and overstocks, continues to cost retailers hundreds of billions annually. In an omnichannel environment, even small discrepancies can have an outsized impact. Retailers that support BOPIS and BORIS effectively invest in systems that provide near real-time inventory visibility across ecommerce platforms, POS systems, and store operations. Reducing fulfilment errors and improving customer confidence should be at the forefront.
Inventory distortion, including out-of-stocks and overstocks, continues to cost retailers hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Omnichannel In-store Fulfilment
Supporting omnichannel fulfilment adds layers of complexity to daily store operations. Orders must be received, prioritised, picked, staged, and handed off quickly, often alongside traditional customer service responsibilities. Without defined workflows, associates spend valuable time searching for items, managing staging areas, or resolving fulfilment issues.
As omnichannel volume increases, many retailers discover that their stores were not designed to function as fulfilment hubs. Physical stores now play a dual role as both shopping destinations and local fulfilment centres. To support this shift, retailers are rethinking store layouts to include dedicated fulfilment zones for pickups and returns that do not disrupt merchandising or foot traffic. Flexible infrastructure allows stores to scale fulfilment operations as demand grows, without requiring major renovations or additional square footage.
Labour remains one of the top operational challenges for retailers, with many stores operating understaffed while handling higher fulfilment volume than ever before. Retailers that succeed with BOPIS and same-day pickup establish workflows that reduce staff time, eliminate guesswork, and enable teams to process orders efficiently even during peak hours.
Efficient Pick Ups & Returns
The handoff for pickups and returns is one of the most critical moments in the omnichannel experience. Long wait times, crowded counters, and manual verification processes create customer frustration and increase operational risk for retailers. BORIS transactions further complicate the process, requiring accurate order validation and real-time inventory updates.
Retailers have consistently identified shrinkage and organised theft as growing concerns, particularly in environments with frequent handoffs and unattended orders. Retailers need a solution for pickups and returns that protects merchandise, reduces human error, and creates a faster, more predictable customer experience. Secure handoff processes are essential not only for customer satisfaction but also for loss prevention.
Where Smart Lockers Fit into Omnichannel Retail
Technology can significantly ease the burden on store associates by:
- reducing manual steps
- simplifying handoffs
- enabling customers to complete pickups independently
As retailers look to strengthen their omnichannel capabilities, smart locker systems are increasingly used to support BOPIS, BORIS, and same-day pickups. Lockers provide a controlled environment for staging orders, reduce congestion at pick up counters, and allow customers to retrieve items on their own schedule.
From an operational standpoint, smart lockers help reduce shrink risk, shorten pick up times, and eliminate unnecessary associate involvement in routine handoffs. For retail environments, solutions like Luxer One’s smart lockers integrate into existing store workflows. Lockers enable scalable fulfilment without adding complexity or labour strain.
Building an Omnichannel-ready Store
Supporting BOPIS, BORIS, and same-day pick up requires more than technology alone. It demands accurate inventory, intentional workflows, secure handoffs, flexible space, and tools that help retailers do more with less. Retailers that invest in these foundations are better positioned to meet customer expectations, protect margins, and adapt as fulfilment models continue to evolve.
As NRF continues to highlight the convergence of digital and physical retail, one thing is clear: the future store is not just a place to shop, but a place built to fulfil.
Author Bio
Lauren Buote is a Marketing Coordinator at Luxer One who blends her fine arts background from North Carolina State University with marketing experience in small businesses and museums. She specialises in content and design that support Luxer One’s storytelling and brand growth in the Commercial sector.
