How Retailers are Shifting to Click and Collect with Curbside Option

Curbside pickup has always been a popular perk offered by many retailers. Now it’s a public health necessity.  While curbside pickup is a win from a public health perspective, it provides consumers/stores the ability to buy and sell product without violating physical distance guidelines.

Consumer interest in curbside pickup has exploded between late February and late March 2020. Curbside and in-store pickup orders jumped 87%, according to data from Adobe Analytics. ¹

The push on curbside pickup has forced retailers to improve how they deliver the service. For stores staying open, it provides convenience and lowers the number of people in the aisles. Experts forecast curbside pickup could well become a staple for many retailers long after social distancing subsides. ¹

Retail Stores Expand Curbside

Retail stores that have been deemed essential and allowed to stay open to serve their communities, have been aggressively taking measures in the store to protect workers and customers. Stores are for example:

• Temporarily closing their stores earlier to provide additional time for essential product replenishment and to thoroughly clean and sanitize their stores.
• Enhancing social distancing protocols by adding dedicated social distancing ambassadors responsible for monitoring customer flow in areas like their garden centers and front-end areas and to enforce customer limits to allow proper social distancing.
• Making substantial updates to store floor layouts to further support the CDC’s guidelines for social distancing, such as opening aisle space by removing displays to make it easier for both associates and customers to get the items they need quickly and safely.
• Installing customized acrylic shields at all points of sale to protect our cashiers and customer service associates working at the return desk.
• Adding overhead announcements, store signage, and customer and associate guidelines that emphasize the importance of social distancing.
• Using dedicated secondary barcode scanners (e.g., Honeywell Xenon XP 1952-g-bf, Xenon XP 1952h-bf, and Vuquest 3320g) to read barcodes on loyalty cards/phone, digital coupons, ID cards for age restricted items, and bottom of the basket items. The checker can use the barcode scanner to read the presented information, without touching the personal item. This minimizes contact.See the article Grocers Using Secondary Scanners in Checkout to Minimize Shopper/Cashier Contact.
• For more chances see the article 50-plus Critical Actions Grocers Are Making to Protect Workers and Shoppers.

These same retailers are expanding their curbside pickup, so customers can be served without having to come inside the store.  For example,

• Target. Target, considered an early adopter to curbside pickup in its nearly 1,900 stores, which it calls Drive Up, has experienced some delays in completing orders because of the increased demand. Target offers a variety of fulfilment curbside options and continues to add program updates that help in accommodating increased demand. Order pickup has been made contactless by eliminating customer signatures on handheld devices. Team members place Drive Up orders in trunks or back seats of cars. They have added more dedicated spaces in their parking lots for Drive Up.Target.com is regularly updated with estimated fulfillment and shipping times, as well as Shipt (home delivery) delivery windows, so guests can plan accordingly. ²
• Walmart. Walmart provides “No contact pickup and delivery.” For pickup customers, customers simply open their trunk, and associates load their groceries/order in – no need to sign for the order. And for delivery, Walmart does not require a signature.Delivery drivers are instructed to simply leave the order on customers’ doorsteps.³

Retail Stores Temporarily Close but Offer Curbside Pickup

During this time, many retailers have temporarily closed for in-store shopping but work to expand their curbside pickup for goods ranging from electronics and clothing to arts and crafts products. For example:

• Kohl’s. Even though Kohl’s is temporarily closed, Kohl’s will continue to serve their customers through Kohls.com and the Kohl’s App. In addition to ship to home, Kohl’s customers can opt to pick up their items at most Kohl’s stores between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time. Orders will be ready within two hours of placing their orders.⁴
• BestBuy. BestBuy added curbside pickup in December 2019 and expanded the service to its 1,200 stores just before temporally closing.¹ BestBuy is offering contactless Curbside Pickup outside of stores, and doorstep drop-off for all home deliveries.Consumers can check BestBuy.com and have their purchase delivered directly to their door step or they can choose Curbside Pickup. Most items are ready in one hour.When the customer is at the store they can email, use BestBuy app or phone to let them know of their arrival. Customers simply open the trunk and the order is place inside.⁵
• Bed Bath & Beyond. After a customer orders online from a local Bed Bath & Beyond location, they will receive a Ready for Pick Up email within 2 business hours. The customers present the confirmation email at the store and pay for item(s) at pickup. Orders are held for 2 days. Bed Bath & Beyond also has the option to pay ahead of time with your credit card for curbside pickup.⁶
• Dick’s Sporting Goods.Customers go to the product details page on Dick's Sporting Good's website, set the store location and select 'Contactless Curbside Pickup' for your order. Dick's Sporting Goods lets the customer know when the order is ready for store pick up. Upon arrival at the main entrance curb, customers tap the I’M CURBSIDE link and a Dick's Sporting Goods associate will deliver their order to vehicle's backseat or trunk.⁶

Honeywell Solutions for Click and Collect with Curbside Option

Honeywell’s lineup of retail solutions, including mobile computers, mobile printers, and software, allows for increased associate productivity, especially during times of high demand.

• Honeywell CT40. An associate is able to quickly locate and pick the order utilizing the Honeywell CT40 Mobile Computer, built on the Mobility Edge platform with integrated scanning technology. Designed for retail store associates and other highly mobile workers, the lightweight, ergonomic Honeywell CT40 device is a sleek and stylish enterprise-class, full-touch device that helps improve worker productivity on the sales floor, backroom, warehouse, or on a delivery run.

• Honeywell’s Guided Work for Retail. Honeywell’s Guided Work for Retail application on the CT40 provides voice direction to guide in-store associates to fulfill click and collect orders efficiently and accurately. It also assists in the replenishment of in-store stock.
  
  Honeywell's Guided Work for Retail is a virtual assistant that enables automation to talk to the lone/individual worker, doing repetitive tasks like click and collect and gap scanning, to be heads up and hands-free for completing tasks. The solution allows for multiple forms of input, including voice data capture, barcode scanning and keyboard data entry, which improves productivity, accuracy and consistency.  Supermarkets, hypermarkets, and do-it-yourself are among the many retail environments where this solution is best suited.  

• Honeywell RP4 Mobile Printer. Fast and convenient service for click and collect at curbside is an emerging critical offering. By empowering associates with the CT40 paired with a payment terminal and RP4 mobile printer helps facilitate a mobile point of sale that’s fast, reliable and easy to use.The Honeywell RP2 Mobile Printer is part of the RP Series mobile printers offer the most rugged and reliable performance for healthcare. Frequent drops, vibration and exposure to dust and water are just a few examples of the regular abuse that mobile printers endure. The RP Series printers are designed to withstand these harsh conditions and give you years of reliable thermal receipt and label printing.

How to Make Innovation Work with Your Budget

In recent days, organizations wishing to quickly add devices like mobile computers, scanners, and mobile printer solutions have inquired about financing to preserve cashflow. Honeywell-as-a-Service is an offering that helps you navigate technology challenges. It provides you with an innovative approach to acquire software, hardware, and services and pay for them through a monthly payment with no upfront capital outlay.

Contact a Honeywell Solutions Expert today!  Call 1-800-934-3163.

¹ Curbside pickup is growing due to coronavirus: Kohl's, Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods add option
² Target's coronavirus response
³ We’re Making Key Services Completely Contact Free
⁴ Kohl’s Extends Temporary Store Closures Nationwide and Provides Business Update
⁵ BestBuy—We’re still here to get you what you need
⁶ These Stores Are Offering Curbside Pickup In The U.S. Amid COVID-19