3 Ways Personalization Can Boost BOPIS and Curbside Pickup Communications

Personalization in BOPIS and curbside pickup

Perfecting the messaging for customers who take advantage of curbside pickup or buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) is a must for any retailer. For one, click and collect shopping options were already growing in popularity, naturally accelerated by the pandemic. This year, 31% of consumers have used BOPIS or curbside pickup, according to a survey of 5,000 we conducted alongside our sister brand Liveclicker. More than that, these communications provide the perfect opportunity to create a more personalized customer experience.

True, personalization is always important. It delivers strong ROI and people even prefer it, with 79% of consumers more likely to pledge loyalty to a brand that provides personalized experiences.

Personalization is especially important for BOPIS and curbside pickup customers because these shopping options are a personalized experience in and of themselves, allowing people to have a say in how they receive their purchases. At the same time, personalization makes the pickup process more frictionless, which many consider to be the most important aspect of the experience. Rakuten Ready even found that people whose curbside pickup orders are ready in less than two minutes are four times more likely to become repeat customers. With these three tips, take your pickup personalization to the next level:

1. Put BOPIS and Curbside Pickup in Your Triggered Messages

Like click and collect, triggered messages are inherently personalized as direct responses to specific customer actions. Because BOPIS and curbside pickup have never been more popular, they should be incorporated into every triggered message.

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Work click and collect into your welcome series so new customers know it’s an option. The same goes for winback messaging, since lapsed customers may not know, either. Slow shipping is often a catalyst of cart abandonment, a non-issue with BOPIS and curbside pickup. Make sure to include click and collect in abandonment messaging, even if it’s as simple as a subtle banner, like this one from Bloomingdale’s.

2. Capitalize on Valuable Real Estate

Confirmation emails have an average open rate of 65%, far higher than the average marketing message. When it comes to click and collect, just about every email is a confirmation is some sort, whether you’re initially confirming the order or communication pickup protocols.

That gives confirmation emails exceptionally valuable real estate. Maximize that with relevant recommendations, a staple of strong post-purchase messaging. The customer already made a purchase so complementary items are a good place to start. Additionally, different recommendation algorithms are particularly well-suited for each trigger in the customer lifecycle. Popular recommendations work well as inspiration for new customers, while interest-based or predictive recommendations are more appropriate for loyalists. Based on the books customer has picked up, Barnes & Noble can make an educated guess about his reading list.

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3. Segment Your BOPIS and Curbside Pickup Customers

It’s easy to think of click and collect as another shopping channel, but that would be a mistake. The customer is actually the channel and different people opt to pick up their purchases for different reasons. Along with Liveclicker, we’ve identified four key customer personas, all of whom have their own messaging best practices.

  • The new shopper who you need to educate about your different shopping options as part of their onboarding.
  • The BOPIS beginner may know your brand already; instead, they’re learning their way around click and collect.
  • The pickup pro has been there, done that and knows where to park. These people are not necessarily loyal, but they can be, if the pickup experience is seamless.
  • The loyal customer knows you and loves you, and is just starting to shop with you in yet another way.

To learn more about these four personas and how to message them, download The 4 Curbside Customers to Know in 2021.