The  COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of new customer behaviors. From buying essential goods online and picking up your order from the nearest store, to opting for delivery instead of dining out, these behaviors are likely here to stay. According to a study by IHL Group, “Buy Online, Pick Up In Store” (BOPIS) was by far the fastest-growing area of e-commerce before the pandemic. These days, it’s gained even greater momentum. Since March 2020, 60% of customers report that they’ve changed their shopping habits¹. Now, they’re prioritizing convenience, availability, and safety. 

Businesses should meet customers where they are by considering new technology solutions to provide seamless in-store pickup and efficient delivery. We've created a new Google Maps Platform delivery and pickup guide to help you build your own experiences to improve the customer journey and your operational efficiency. In this guide, you can see examples of the APIs and foundational tech stack that can help you build for your organization, and examples of businesses just like yours who are already transforming today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunity. 

Google Maps Platform is designed to support a seamless BOPIS experience, With our APIs, you can help customers sail through checkout, learn about  nearby store locations, get turn-by-turn directions to confidently pick up their purchase, while giving store employees visibility into customer arrival to reduce wait times. 

You can also improve your delivery experience to delight customers, support drivers, and simplify the dispatching process. For example, you can minimize delivery errors and provide real-time tracking so your customers are never left wondering about their order’s ETA—or worrying that it’s headed to the wrong address. Learn how companies, like one of France’s fastest-growing meal delivery services, reduced customer inquiries about delivery status by 75% after implementing delivery solutions with Google Maps Platform.  

While this year presented unique challenges for everyone, it also opened up opportunities to shape the future of shopping. Download the guide to learn how your organization can use innovative mapping capabilities to improve conversions, simplify deliveries, and optimize store pickups. 

For more information on Google Maps Platform, visit our website.

ٰ¹ McKinsey & Company COVID-19 Consumer Pulse surveys