Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) has quietly become the workhorse of omnichannel retail. Pickup now outpaces same-day delivery among grocery shoppers, according to FMI and NielsenIQ. The benefits are clear: Retailers save on last-mile costs while gaining foot traffic and the fee-free economics fit a value-conscious consumer. This FAQ covers how click-and-collect works, why it is winning, and where retailers should invest in 2026.

What is BOPIS?

Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) is a fulfillment model where consumers purchase online and retrieve orders at a store, curbside, or locker, collectively known as click-and-collect. It is one of the two primary digital fulfillment models alongside home delivery. Click-and-collect blends digital convenience with physical retail economics: shoppers skip delivery fees and choose their own timing, while retailers fulfill from existing stores rather than funding last-mile delivery. The model has become standard at major chains, with Walmart, Target, Kroger, and most national retailers operating dedicated pickup operations across categories from groceries to electronics.

How popular is click-and-collect compared with delivery?

Pickup has overtaken same-day delivery in the largest digital category. Click-and-collect, spanning BOPIS and curbside, now outpaces same-day home delivery among grocery shoppers, with 31% of shoppers using pickup compared with 29% using delivery, according to FMI and NielsenIQ data. The behavior sits inside a broader omnichannel norm: More than 90% of US consumers now shop for groceries both online and in store, per the same FMI and NielsenIQ research. This indicates pickup is not a compromise option but a preferred mode for a meaningful share of digital shoppers, particularly for routine, planned purchases.

Why do consumers choose BOPIS over delivery?

Three factors drive the shift to pickup:

• Cost sensitivity. Pickup avoids delivery fees, a priority as 78% of online grocery shoppers focus on spending awareness, per GWI data.
• Control over timing. Consumers retrieve orders on their own schedule rather than waiting for delivery windows.
• In-store additions. Pickup trips let shoppers grab forgotten items, combining digital convenience with in-store browsing.

The fee-avoidance driver matters most in the current economy: as inflation erodes purchasing power and consumers scrutinize every charge, free fulfillment becomes a competitive feature rather than a logistics detail.

Why do retailers invest in BOPIS?

Click-and-collect improves retailer economics on two fronts. It reduces last-mile costs, the most expensive leg of ecommerce fulfillment, while converting digital orders into foot-traffic that drives incremental in-store purchases. Store networks become fulfillment assets: 90% of the US population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart store, enabling same-day fulfillment to 93% of households, per the retailer. This advantage helped Walmart pioneer curbside grocery and capture 30.9% of US grocery ecommerce sales in 2025, with Amazon at 23.6% and Kroger at 9.1%, according to EMARKETER’s forecast. For store-based retailers competing with pure-play ecommerce, pickup converts physical footprints from cost burden to moat.

What challenges does BOPIS present?

Pickup quality depends on store operations, and those are under strain. Retailers lose an average of 6.4% of gross sales to in-store operational failures, up from 5.5% in 2025, with out-of-stocks the sharpest-rising challenge, per Coresight Research data. Inaccurate shelf and inventory data impacts BOPIS directly: an order promised online but unavailable at pickup damages trust more than an out-of-stock discovered in the aisle. The fix is foundational data: retailers that sequenced store intelligence correctly, like BJ's Wholesale Club, used shelf-level visibility to build digital twins that improved picking efficiency roughly 40% year over year, per the Coresight Research report. Labor allocation, staging space, and peak-hour congestion round out the operational load.

How should retailers optimize click-and-collect in 2026?

Treat BOPIS as a profit lever, not a checkbox feature. Priorities:

• Fix inventory accuracy first. Real-time, shelf-level visibility is the foundation that makes pickup promises reliable, per Coresight.
• Optimize picking operations. Digital-twin and pick-path tools deliver measurable efficiency gains for curbside and same-day orders.
• Monetize the pickup moment. Pickup customers are in or near the store; merchandising, app offers, and in-store retail media can convert the trip into added basket.
• Keep it free. Fee avoidance is the top consumer driver; charging for pickup undercuts the model's core appeal.
• Market the speed. With most households reachable for same-day fulfillment from stores, pickup speed rivals delivery without the cost, a message value-focused shoppers respond to.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.

EMARKETER forecast data was current at publication and may have changed. EMARKETER clients have access to up-to-date forecast data. To explore EMARKETER solutions, click here.