Buy Online, Pick Up in Store

REI sought to implement a Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPUS) service to enhance customer convenience and drive both online and in-store sales. This case study outlines the process, research, and design decisions that informed the development of REI's BOPUS user experience. The project focused on creating a customer-centric solution while addressing the significant operational changes required for successful implementation.

Challenge

Many retailers offer BOPUS, allowing customers to shop online and collect their purchases in-store. REI aimed to leverage this model to provide customers with access to local store inventory, enhancing convenience and potentially increasing store visits. The challenge was twofold: 1) Design a seamless and intuitive BOPUS experience for REI's website. 2) Identify and address internal operational hurdles to ensure a smooth and efficient rollout.

Goal

Increase conversion rates (both online and in-store) and drive store visits by enabling customers to easily browse and purchase inventory from their local REI store.

Process & Methodology

The project followed a user-centered design approach, completed within a one-month timeframe, and included the following key phases:

  1. Stakeholder Workshops: Initial workshops with key internal stakeholders (merchandising, operations, and store employees) revealed strong organizational enthusiasm for BOPUS. Importantly, these sessions also highlighted the substantial operational complexities and changes required for successful implementation. This underscored the need for a phased rollout and ongoing collaboration.

  2. Competitive Analysis: A thorough competitive audit of existing BOPUS implementations across various retailers was conducted. This analysis revealed common interaction patterns and best practices, but also highlighted common pitfalls where operational constraints overshadowed the customer experience. A key takeaway was the critical need to prioritize customer needs over short-term operational limitations.

  3. Customer Journey Mapping: A simplified customer journey map was created to visualize the entire BOPUS process, from initial product browsing to in-store pickup. This map identified key decision and education points where users needed clear information and guidance. Design solutions were specifically tailored to address these critical interaction points.

  4. Iterative Prototyping & User Testing: Four rapid cycles of user testing were conducted using a prototype. Testing involved both in-person sessions with REI employees and customers at REI stores, and remote testing via UserTesting.com. This iterative approach allowed for rapid feedback and refinement of the design.

Key Learnings & Design Solutions

The research and testing yielded several crucial insights that directly informed the final design:

  • Optimal BOPUS Placement: Initial explorations placed the "your store" selector in the site header. However, user testing demonstrated low discoverability in this location. Users primarily focused on the main content area – browsing and filtering products. The final design strategically positioned the BOPUS option within the search results filters and prominently on the product detail page, directly above the "Add to Cart" button. This placement maximized visibility and discoverability.

  • Customer-Centric Language: User testing revealed the importance of clear, customer-focused language. Instead of technical jargon ("ship to store") or ambiguous timeframes ("within 24 hours"), the design used plain language, emphasizing the customer benefit and specific pickup times (e.g., "Pick it up at the Seattle Flagship Store today" or "Ready for pickup tomorrow").

  • Store Visits as a Success Metric: Research revealed that many customers used the website to browse local store inventory before visiting a physical store. They weren't necessarily intending to complete the purchase online. This insight led to a crucial shift in the project's definition of success: BOPUS was not only about online conversion but also about driving in-store traffic. Store visits were incorporated as a key performance indicator (KPI).

  • Usability findings Were documented.

Outcome

The final design and comprehensive usability findings were presented to key stakeholders. The design is currently serving as the blueprint for development as REI addresses the necessary underlying infrastructure and operational changes. The project successfully delivered a user-centered BOPUS design, ready for implementation, and provided valuable insights into customer behavior and the operational requirements for a successful BOPUS program.

Next Steps

  • Phased rollout to test operational changes, making sure to not comprimize the designed customer experience.

  • Continued usability testing.

  • Further integration with store systems.