PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Williams Trading Co. has shared tips on how to convert businesses to curbside pickup as states start to re-open following "stay-at-home" orders due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“While some states or counties might not allow stores to re-open fully, some are allowing stores to re-open with a curbside pickup model,” a rep explained. “Adult retail brick-and-mortar businesses can easily adopt this model for their own use.”
Here are the tips offered by Williams Trading:
First, one of the easiest ways to convert to curbside pickup is if your business already has a website where customers can order and pay.
If possible, assign time slots for pickup, and designate an area where orders are held within the store.
When the customer arrives to pick up their order, you can either have them call the store phone, or text their arrival to a designated number. Make sure employees ask for the color, make and model of the customer's vehicle, just in case you have more than one pickup at a time.
The best practice for both consumer and store employee safety is to ask that the consumer have their back window or door open so the employee, masked and gloved, can simply place the order in the backseat and avoid contact entirely.
Converting to Curbside Pickup
- If you don’t currently have a website, building one can be quick and inexpensive. While there are many platforms available, Shopify offers a free 90-day trial, and pricing is as low as $29 per month. The Shopify app once integrated with Inventory Source is fully compatible with Williams Trading inventory updates.
- You can link your Shopify site with Inventory Source and load your store inventory onto your Shopify site. The process is quick, easy and — depending on the plan chosen — can be relatively inexpensive. This will make offering customers curbside pickup much easier. Check with your distributor: they may offer a discount coupon for Inventory Source.
- Shopify offers a special app called Store Pick-Up and Collect which provides your customers with a seamless pickup option that integrates with your store's existing shipping and styling. It has a 14-day free trial, and costs $11 per month.
- Setting up a separate number for store pickup is easy: simply set up a new Google Voice number. To sign up for Google Voice, click here.
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