Via.Delivery Buy Online, Pickup Anywhere Debuts

February 14, 2021

Buy Online, Pickup Anywhere (BOPA) utilizes a network of more than 66,000 commercial pickup locations worldwide, with more than one-third located across the United States, enables pure play e-commerce vendors to give customers more options, including the ability to choose to have their packages delivered to any convenient location for pickup. Today, Via.Delivery also launched a quarterly shipping and delivery index to track BOPA adoption, which shows consumers are eager to take advantage of BOPA for its cost savings, security and convenience.

“Buy Online, Pickup Anywhere solves pressing challenges that arose during the pandemic and subsequent supply chain issues,” said Mitchell Nikitin, CEO and co-founder of Via.Delivery. As an example, Nikitin explained, “At a time when residential shipping can cost 30% more than shipping to a commercial address, BOPA offers a lower-cost alternative while also providing consumers the ability to ship packages anywhere for convenient pickup.”

Consumers are rapidly adopting BOPA, with nearly 1 in 5 shoppers choosing this new delivery option at checkout, according to the Index analysis of thousands of e-commerce transactions. The Index shows that when shoppers are given the option to select shipping to an alternative delivery location at checkout, 18% do so.

Via.Delivery has been operating in Europe since 2019 and launched in the U.S. last year. “Based on initial user data and the demand we’ve seen, we predict BOPA will become a preferred and widely used delivery method in the United States within the next 3-5 years,” said Nikitin. “This quarterly index data allows us to track BOPA adoption, while monitoring consumers’ shipping preferences.”

KEY INDEX FINDINGS

Nearly 1 in 5 five e-commerce shoppers chooses Buy Online, Pickup Anywhere (BOPA) when given the option at checkout

50% of online shoppers who choose BOPA vs. residential shipping do so to save money

30% of online shoppers who use BOPA pick this delivery method either for security and protection against parcel theft, or for convenience

The number one major U.S. city where BOPA adoption is highest is New York City

4 of the 7 major U.S. cities ranked worst for package theft also rank among the highest for BOPA adoption: Portland, Seattle, Austin, and San Francisco

“In some markets outside of the U.S., shipping to alternative locations accounts for up to 70% of all deliveries. Now U.S. consumers are showing a readiness to use alternative delivery options as well,” Nikitin said.

COST OF SHIPPING
“The cost of shipping is the most common reason consumers give for using BOPA. In fact, 50% of online shoppers who use BOPA say they do so to save money,” Nitkin said. “Consumers have always disliked paying for expensive residential shipping — in many cases it is a deal breaker, which is evidenced by shoppers frequently abandoning their carts at checkout when they see what they owe for shipping.”

Not only are shipping rates increasing, the items shoppers are buying are also more expensive. With inflation up 7%, consumers who are feeling the pinch of higher priced goods are even more motivated to choose delivery options with reduced shipping fees.

CONVENIENCE AND SECURITY
Shoppers also report being drawn to BOPA because it offers more convenience and security than residential delivery. Nearly 3 in 4 Americans (72%) are more worried about porch pirates now than before the pandemic. To protect packages, shoppers are choosing to have online orders delivered to locations such as convenience stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retail locations where they can be held safely until picked up.

“Many of the major cities across the U.S. that are rated worst for package theft are places where shipping to secure delivery locations is becoming popular,” explained Nikitin. “San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and Portland are ranked among the worst cities for porch piracy, and they’re among the cities with the highest BOPA adoption.” New York has the highest BOPA adoption based on overall volume.

PURE PLAY E-COMMERCE MERCHANTS
Online retailers share consumers’ interest in BOPA. Minimizing shopping cart abandonment, driving sales conversions, promoting sustainability, and preventing reimbursement claims for stolen packages are a few of the advantages of offering BOPA.

“We’ve heard feedback that online store owners are excited to offer greater choice and convenience, while also enabling customers to save money on shipping. By helping customers, business owners are also helping their business,” Nikitin said.

Via.Delivery’s digital logistics and cloud-based delivery platform make it simple for online stores to offer BOPA to customers during checkout. This option appears alongside the other shipping options on a merchant’s website. For customers, selecting BOPA as a delivery method is seamless, and customers are able to choose their preferred location from a list of local pickup points.

“We’re giving shoppers more options to choose delivery locations that are most convenient for them, while enabling them to save on shipping costs,” Nikitin said.

Via.Delivery’s BOPA network is the largest in the United States with more than 20,000 pickup locations. Online merchants interested in learning about Via.Delivery and how to offer better and cheaper shipping options can request a meeting here to get more information.