A survey of 3,000 U.S. consumers reveals that 58% will use a buy online/pick up in-store (BOPIS) fulfillment option for their holiday shopping — a 25% increase over holiday 2016.
The Holiday Consumer Trends Report: 2017 Edition from Kibo also revealed:
• 54% of shoppers use online inventory information to justify a trip to the store during the holidays;
• Consumers’ reasons for using BOPIS during the holidays include saving on shipping costs (66%); saving time while in-store (53%); and getting the product when it’s convenient for them (39%);
• 70% of shoppers expect free shipping during the holidays, showing the influence of Amazon Prime;
• 67% of shoppers expect free shipping when gifts are returned, and 65% expect to be able to return an online purchase to a store; and
• 70% of shoppers said a relevant discount will make them more likely to visit a shop or web site during the holidays.
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“It’s clear that consumer expectations for this holiday season are as high as ever, and retailers need to prepare by providing connected and seamless experience across online and physical channels,” said Tushar Patel, CMO of Kibo in a statement. “BOPIS fulfillment and accessible inventory information are going to take center stage this season for the seemingly obvious reasons of saving busy holiday shoppers time and money.”