Dollar General Works On Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store Feature

Dollar General Works On BOPIS Feature

In a move that could help the retailer bring in a younger demographic, Dollar General Corp. is in the process of making it possible for shoppers to buy products online and pick them up at a store near them. The retailer has a mobile app feature that lets shoppers know the exact amount they will pay by totaling up products in-store, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Chief Information Officer Carman Wenkoff said in reference to purchasing online and picking up in-store, according to the report, “We’ve always tried to be at the leading edge of value and convenience, and we hear our customers talking about this a lot.” Roughly 45 percent of shoppers at Dollar General tap into digital tools from the retailer or other merchants when they shop, according to the company.

Wenkoff’s team will have to integrate the app with multiple applications as well as data systems to make the buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) feature functional. The app could suggest similar products in the event that an item is out of stock, and could also shoppers to use digital coupons on products purchased online.

The company’s digital tools include a mobile app “cart calculator” feature that lets in-store customers see the exact total of items in their carts with discounts and taxes before arriving at the cash register. That feature is available in roughly 75 percent of locations. With another tool, shoppers can discover when a coupon is available for a product in their carts.

According to past reports, a significant share of Generation Z consumers – those between the ages of 18 and 25 – are turning to BOPIS purchasing models, which allow them to visit the apps or websites of retailers to browse, choose and pay for items, and then visit physical stores to collect their purchases. Some stores are also harnessing automation to make the click-and-collect experience quicker, easier and cheaper to manage.