What Is BOPIS and Why Does Your Shopify Store Need It?

What Is BOPIS and Why Does Your Shopify Store Need It?

BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store) lets customers purchase products on your Shopify store and pick them up at a physical location the same day. Also called "click and collect" or "store pickup," this feature has become essential for multi-location retailers.

If you run multiple store locations, BOPIS isn't optional anymore. Customers expect it. Here's why:

  • Faster fulfillment: No waiting 3-5 days for shipping
  • Zero shipping costs: Removes the biggest barrier to online purchases
  • Higher conversion rates: Store pickup options increase conversions by up to 20%
  • More foot traffic: 50% of BOPIS customers make additional purchases in-store

The challenge? Setting up BOPIS on Shopify properly requires inventory management, location handling, and a smooth customer experience. This guide shows you exactly how to do it.

BOPIS Statistics for Shopify Merchants

  • 67% of shoppers have used buy online pick up in store in the past year
  • BOPIS customers spend 13% more than online-only shoppers
  • 85% of store pickup orders are collected within 2 hours
  • Retailers see 50% additional purchases when customers pick up in-store
  • 90% of retailers plan to offer or expand BOPIS capabilities

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Setting Up BOPIS

Before you can enable buy online pick up in store on Shopify, make sure you have:

Required Elements

  • Multiple store locations: At least 2 physical locations (or 1 store + 1 warehouse)
  • Shopify Plan: Shopify or Shopify Plus (locations feature available)
  • Inventory tracking: Products must have inventory tracking enabled
  • Staff access: Team members who can fulfill pickup orders

Recommended Setup

  • POS system: Shopify POS for in-store inventory management
  • Location hours: Accurate operating hours for each location
  • Pickup workflow: Process for how customers collect orders
  • Store locator: Customer-facing map showing all locations

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up BOPIS on Shopify

Follow these steps to enable Shopify store pickup for your multi-location business:

1Enable Locations in Shopify

Go to Settings → Locations in your Shopify admin. Add each physical store location with:

  • Store name
  • Full address
  • Phone number
  • Store hours

Make sure "Fulfill orders from this location" is checked for each store.

2Assign Inventory to Each Location

For every product, assign inventory quantities to specific locations:

  • Go to Products → [Product Name] → Inventory
  • Check which locations stock this product
  • Enter quantity available at each location
  • Enable "Track quantity" for accurate stock levels

Important: Real-time inventory accuracy is critical for BOPIS. If you say a product is available for pickup but it's not in stock, you lose customer trust.

3Enable Local Pickup Shipping Method

Go to Settings → Shipping and delivery → Local pickup

  • Click "Add pickup" option
  • Name it clearly: "Store Pickup" or "In-Store Pickup"
  • Select which locations offer pickup
  • Set pickup instructions (e.g., "Ready in 2 hours")
  • Add expected pickup time

4Configure Pickup Notifications

Set up automatic emails so customers know when orders are ready:

  • Go to Settings → Notifications
  • Customize "Order ready for pickup" email
  • Include pickup location, hours, and instructions
  • Add staff contact information

5Test the Customer Experience

Before going live, place test orders:

  • Add product to cart
  • Select "Store Pickup" at checkout
  • Choose a location
  • Complete the purchase
  • Verify notification emails work
  • Test the pickup workflow in-store

Common BOPIS Setup Mistake

The biggest mistake Shopify merchants make? Not showing real-time inventory on product pages.

Customers need to see which locations have the item in stock BEFORE checkout. If they add a product to cart, choose store pickup, then discover it's not available at their preferred location—they abandon the cart.

Always display location-specific inventory on product pages or in a store locator.

BOPIS vs. Traditional Shipping: The Numbers

  • Conversion rate: BOPIS is 20% higher than ship-to-home
  • Cart abandonment: 30% lower with store pickup option
  • Average order value: 13% higher for pickup orders
  • Customer satisfaction: 92% satisfied with BOPIS experience
  • Repeat purchases: 50% more likely to buy again

Common BOPIS Challenges (And How to Solve Them)

Challenge: Inventory Sync Issues

Problem: Online inventory doesn't match in-store stock. Customers arrive for pickup and product isn't available.

Solution: Use Shopify POS for all in-store sales. Enable real-time inventory sync. Set inventory buffers (reserve 5-10% for walk-ins).

Challenge: Slow Fulfillment Times

Problem: Orders take too long to prepare. Customers show up before items are ready.

Solution: Set realistic pickup windows. Create dedicated BOPIS fulfillment area. Use task management for staff.

Challenge: Customer No-Shows

Problem: Customers order for pickup but never collect items.

Solution: Send reminder texts/emails. Set pickup deadlines (e.g., "Please collect within 7 days"). Auto-refund after deadline.

Challenge: Complex Multi-Location Management

Problem: Managing inventory, orders, and fulfillment across 5+ locations becomes overwhelming.

Solution: Use a dedicated BOPIS app that handles location logic, inventory display, and customer experience automatically.

Skip the Manual Setup—Use Shop BOPIS

Setting up BOPIS manually works, but it's tedious. Shop BOPIS handles location management, real-time inventory display, and customer experience automatically.

Try Shop BOPIS Free

How Shop BOPIS Makes Shopify Store Pickup Easy

While Shopify's native BOPIS features work, they require manual setup and don't solve the biggest problem: showing customers real-time inventory before checkout.

What Shop BOPIS Does Differently

Automatic Store Locator with Live Inventory

Customers see which locations have products in stock on interactive maps. No apps, no guessing—they know before they buy.

One-Click Pickup Integration

Buy online, pick up today. The entire flow takes seconds, not minutes. No complicated checkout process.

Beautiful, Branded Experience

Custom map styling that matches your store. Not a generic Google Maps embed that looks like every other site.

Real-Time Sync

Inventory updates instantly across all locations. No manual spreadsheets, no sync delays.

Five-Minute Setup

Install the Shopify app. Add your locations. Done. No developer needed, no months of implementation.

Who Shop BOPIS Is For

  • Multi-location retailers (2-200 stores)
  • Brands with warehouse + retail locations
  • Franchises managing inventory across locations
  • Any Shopify merchant who wants BOPIS done right

BOPIS SEO: How Store Pickup Helps You Rank

Here's a bonus benefit: BOPIS improves local SEO.

When you enable Shopify store pickup:

  • Each location appears in Google Maps with accurate inventory
  • "Near me" searches show your stores
  • Local landing pages rank for location-specific keywords
  • Rich snippets display store hours and availability

Customers searching "store near me" or "buy [product] today" see your locations. That's free, high-intent traffic you can't get from shipping-only stores.

Quick Win: Add Location Pages

Create individual pages for each store location with:

  • Address and phone
  • Operating hours
  • Products available at that location
  • Pickup instructions
  • Embedded map

These pages rank for "[your brand] + [city]" searches and drive foot traffic.

Next Steps: Launch Your Shopify BOPIS

You now know how to set up buy online pick up in store on Shopify. Here's what to do next:

  1. Add locations in Shopify: Settings → Locations
  2. Assign inventory: Update stock levels for each location
  3. Enable local pickup: Settings → Shipping and delivery
  4. Test the experience: Place test orders, verify emails
  5. Train your staff: Make sure they know the pickup process
  6. Consider Shop BOPIS: Skip manual work, get live inventory display

The sooner you enable BOPIS, the sooner you'll see higher conversion rates, lower cart abandonment, and more foot traffic.

BOPIS isn't just a feature—it's how modern retail works. Customers expect it. Your competitors offer it. If your Shopify store doesn't, you're losing sales every day.

Ready to Add BOPIS to Your Shopify Store?

Get live inventory display, beautiful store locators, and one-click pickup in under 5 minutes. No coding required.

Install Shop BOPIS Now

About Shop BOPIS: We help Shopify merchants set up buy online pick up in store the right way—with live inventory, beautiful store locators, and seamless customer experience.

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