By Toby Phimister

Should brands continue to invest in technology to enhance their off-premise experience, even after the pandemic?

Studies show that consumers across verticals overwhelmingly expect brands to continue offering curbside and in-store pickup long into the future, with a majority of restaurant consumers saying that pickup and delivery are now essential to the way they live their lives. Over the past year, curbside pickup provided a crucial revenue stream to many brands that had to limit in-person shopping or in-person dining and that revenue stream shows no sign of slowing down. Brands that invested in off-premise technology, instead of a manual solution, thrived during the pandemic, with increased volume, high customer satisfaction, and a huge uptick in repeat visits. This was clearly illustrated by Target’s recent results which showed that a 500% increase in usage of their curbside pickup option was a driving factor in their digital sales growth of nearly $10 billion. Now that consumers have experienced the convenience that curbside and in-store pickup brings, it’s crucial that brands implement an enhanced pickup solution in order to maximize the growth that this channel can bring.

What ROI can I expect to see after implementing Flybuy Pickup?

Our global brands, which represent over 30,000 locations, have seen incredible results including:

  • Reduced average pickup wait time by nearly 80% to an average of 1 minute and 36 seconds 
  • Increased order volume for in-store and curbside pickup by an average of 22%
  • Improved customer satisfaction ratings to an average 4.95/5 stars
  • Increased same-store repeat visitors by more than 5x

When a customer waits fewer than two minutes for their order, they are four times more likely to order again; by implementing a comprehensive pickup experience, brands will see repeat visitors increase and solidify high customer satisfaction levels.

How long does it take to roll-out a full pickup solution, like Flybuy Pickup?

Our technology works at several different integration levels, meaning that we can have your stores up and running in days with our web flow experience or Flybuy app so that your customers can quickly experience the benefits that enhanced curbside pickup brings. Meanwhile, our engineers will work with your team to seamlessly integrate Flybuy with your current mobile ordering platform, picking and fulfillment solution, or similar eCommerce components. The Flybuy SDK integrates directly into your app which means that Flybuy can seamlessly become a part of your in-app ordering experience.

How is Flybuy Pickup different from a manual curbside pickup solution?

Flybuy Pickup goes far beyond clunky manual curbside pickup solutions that require customers to call the store or click an “I’m here” button upon arrival. Our proprietary machine-learning algorithms ingest mobile location awareness, real-time traffic data, and other mobile sensor and environmental inputs to deliver location information that makes curbside, in-store, and drive-thru pickup fast and frictionless. Once a customer taps the “I’m on my way” button, the store is notified and we begin tracking the customer’s location on their way to the site. The store is able to see an up-to-the-minute ETA for the customer and is automatically provided proximity alerts at configurable distances so that employees know when to start cooking last minute items or picking the order and when to take it out to the curb, all without any action needed from the customer. This allows for a seamless curbside pickup that is quick, easy, and contactless. 

How does Flybuy Pickup improve employee efficiency?

Flybuy Pickup enables in-store employees to see exactly when each customer and delivery driver will be arriving on-site, so that they can prioritize which orders they need to focus on. This increased efficiency means that employees can prepare more orders and enable each store to serve more customers. Additionally, Flybuy’s configurable proximity alerts allow employees to leave the preparation of certain items until the customer is close to the location. For example, if a customer orders french fries, the store will be alerted when the customer is a few minutes away so that the fries can be cooked to order and be hot and fresh when the order is handed to the customer.

How does Flybuy Pickup work in conjunction with delivery drivers?

When leveraging Flybuy Pickup, your staff can see real time updates on driver arrival time based on their distance and current traffic patterns. Flybuy works with most Delivery Service Providers (DSPs) to provide accurate ETA’s for driver arrival so Flybuy can help staff prepare items just in time for driver arrival.  Furthermore, when the drivers arrive, Flybuy can help identify where they pull up or park so the staff can be ready to hand-off the order immediately or bring it out to the curb. This can dramatically reduce wait times to just a couple of minutes. This simple elimination of wasted time and frustration, makes the entire chain, from brand to driver to customer, more efficient and improves satisfaction for all parties. Less turnaround time, means more deliveries, happier drivers and customers, and increased repeat sales and revenue.

What other solutions does Flybuy offer and how do those fit in with Pickup?

The Flybuy platform is made up of four different solutions that together provide brands with a 360 off-premise experience. In addition to Flybuy Pickup, the platform includes Flybuy Tableside, Flybuy Drive-Thru, and Flybuy Pay. 

Flybuy Pay enables staff to send a digital bill to the customer and avoid taking payment over the phone, decreasing fraud and increasing staff efficiency. Each of our individual solutions solve significant challenges that restaurants, retailers, and grocers face every day and together our solutions create a truly seamless off-premise experience. 

Flybuy Drive-Thru leverages our proprietary Presence Level™ mobile location technology to enhance and optimize the drive-thru experience for customers and staff through seamless loyalty and offer redemption. With drive-thru lanes busier than ever, decreasing time spent in line, and increasing operational efficiency is a must. 

Flybuy Tableside is designed to help restaurants locate customers within their dining rooms for order delivery and engagement. Our wireless solution enables staff to know exactly where a customer is located and for what length of time. 

Is Flybuy Pickup right for my stores?

Flybuy Pickup is the right solution for brands that are focused on reducing customer wait times, increasing employee efficiency, and driving revenue growth. Many elements of our solution are configurable including pickup zones, proximity alert distances, customer messaging, in-app and in-web flow branding, and so much more; meaning that Flybuy can fit in with almost any store operation. Flybuy Pickup would give your stores the opportunity to have an industry-leading off-premise experience and to get an edge over competition. If you’re interested in learning more and talking to one of our team members, click here to request a demo!