BOPIS and Curbside Pickup Customers: The 4 Personas You Need to Know

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Retailers have traditionally relied on the RFM model, segmenting customers by the recency, frequency and monetary values of their purchases. Sometimes they also bucket people by the categories they typically shop, whether someone is a dress buyer or more of a fashion buyer, for instance. Rarely do retailers segment by how a customer shops, which increasingly includes click and collect: curbside pickup and buying online, picking up in-store, otherwise known as BOPIS.

Click and collect, BOPIS and curbside pickup have been steadily growing in popularity for years, accounting for more sales every holiday season. Adoption was naturally accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, which all but decimated brick-and-mortar foot traffic in many parts of the U.S. A survey by market research firm Ipsos found that consumers are using BOPIS and curbside pickup 78% more than they were pre-pandemic.

While click and collect is important — especially as you think about retaining those holiday shoppers — it’s a mistake to think of these shopping behaviors as simply being another channel. Click and collect isn’t a channel; the customer is the channel. There are different personas to keep in mind and along with our sister brand Sailthru, we’ve identified four particularly important ones:

  • The new shopper, who’s new to your brand
  • The loyal customer, who has shopped with you in-store and online
  • The pickup pro, who has clicked and collected, and will continue to do with your brand so if the experience is seamless
  • The BOPIS beginner, who became a click and collect shopper recently, whether out of convenience or caution

These four personas represent unique customers who should be engaged differently. Though some messaging tactics warrant more emphasis with some personas than others, some apply to any click and collect shopper. Communications should always be clear, timely and accurate before, during and after the pickup experience. Personalization is also always important as strong click and collect messaging enhances the personalized customer experience, giving people a say in how they receive their purchases. This is also where advanced personalization really shines. Moment-of-open technology ensures customers see the most up-to-date information when they open a message — not when the retailer sent it.

Understanding the nuances is challenging, but a worthwhile endeavor. Consumer behaviors have evolved in response to the pandemic, and many of the brands having strong years — Target, Best Buy and The Home Depot, to name a few — owe much of their growth to strong click and collect experiences.

Optimizing yours is a must, and along with our sister brand Sailthru, Liveclicker is here to help you do it. Download The 4 Curbside Customers to Know in 2021 to learn more about the four click and collect personas, and the different messaging tactics that work best for each, featuring examples of the brands doing it best.

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Liveclicker enables personalization at the moment of open. Our platform helps marketers adjust emails at any time—even after they reach the inbox—so your message is always relevant and impactful.

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