Retailers' continued use of curbside pickup vary following the pandemic

Curbside for Top 500 retailers decreased in 2023 to 34.4% from 47.7% in 2022. The omnichannel service also dropped for Top 1000 retailers. 44.1% offered curbside in 2023, down from 54.7%. There are a couple of factors to consider in the decline of curbside. Some retailers might be curtailing availability of the service as the pandemic ebbs and more shoppers are comfortable shopping in physical stores. For example, Kohl’s ended curbside in August 2022. Barnes & Noble Booksellers Inc. removed designated parking spots and outdoor signs.

But for larger merchants like Walmart Inc., Target Corp., and Best Buy Inc., the designated signage and parking spots remain. In fact, these retailers have upped the ante by adding mobile app features that allow shoppers to receive status updates, including alerting sales associates when a shopper pulls up to a designated parking spot.

The effort is worthwhile for Target as drive-up is the merchant’s top-rated fulfillment service, according to a Target spokesperson.

Among the retailers ranked in the Digital Commerce 360 Top 500, those offering BOPIS had a median conversion rate of 3.9% in 2022, nearly mirroring 2021 (4.0%).

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