NewsJuly 14, 2018
Car packages: Local stores adding pickup services as part of nationwide trend
National retailers with brick-and-mortar locations are evolving to the digital landscape in ways that may seem counterintuitive. They�re making it easier for customers to spend less time in their stores. And one rural local retailer has joined the trend, offering online shopping and pickup services for busy customers, particularly for busy moms and dads who have hectic schedules. ...
National retailers with brick-and-mortar locations are evolving to the digital landscape in ways that may seem counterintuitive.
They�re making it easier for customers to spend less time in their stores.
And one rural local retailer has joined the trend, offering online shopping and pickup services for busy customers, particularly for busy moms and dads who have hectic schedules. The trend has made its way into Cape Girardeau, and seems to be popular. Customers can shop online, avoid the checkout line, and pick up their wares at the store already packaged and ready, with special close-up parking dedicated just for the service.
Lowe�s and Target stores in Cape Girardeau are offering online purchase with in-store pickup and designated parking spots for online-order customers, and in Benton, Missouri, locally-owned M Kay Supply launched its own version of the service just last week.
Lowe�s assistant store manager Steve McLemore said the company�s corporate office responded to customer feedback and revamped existing online ordering services to alleviate wait times for busy customers.
Matthew Gossage, general manager at Target in Cape Girardeau, said Target�s online ordering has three options: have items delivered to an address, in-store pickup for purchased items, or curbside service.
More local stores and restaurants are offering deliveries more than ever before, but the pickup concept is going mainstream as well.
The drive-up capability was launched about six weeks ago nationwide at Target stores, Gossage said, and he said customers often find convenience in the model.
Not having to unload every passenger and trek through the store to find items is convenient for busy customers, Gossage said.
That tracks with a national trend, said Ana Smith with the National Retail Federation.
Retailers are �aggressively� pushing the service during peak times, she said, such as holidays or back-to-school season.
�Parents who have a busy life and don�t want to stay in line forever want to buy online and pick up in a local store,� Smith said.
The service was rolled out as long as seven years ago, Smith said, and now, the trend nationwide is, companies aren�t distinguishing between larger and smaller markets: when a retail outlet rolls the service out, they try to roll it out nationwide.
The National Retail Federation rolled out its back-to-school data last week, Smith said, and in the results, �we learned more adults shopping for college students, whether as students themselves or as a parent, were planning on using the buy-online service.� In fact, 49 percent of the college-student shoppers were taking advantage of the service.
�Most major retailers offer this service,� Smith said. �We haven�t heard of many mom-and-pop shops using it, but I wouldn�t be surprised to see that as they continue to grow.�
One retailer doing just that is locally-owned M Kay Supply at 6626 Highway 77 in Benton, Missouri. The store opened in late 2014, and carries farm, hardware and home supplies.
M Kay Supply also has a deli, groceries, sporting goods and hunting equipment � and was built to expand.
But that�s not to say the store can be taken at face value.
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�Because of our size, we can have a little bit of everything,� said Mackenzie Enderle, who handles marketing and the newly-launched online ordering system.
Malinda Milam, who owns the store with husband Jarrett, agrees.
�Benton has 800 people,� she said, �and we wanted to know exactly what people want, so we could do that for our customers.�
Milam said the store is set up to cater to every age range, so all customers can feel comfortable inside.
And the feedback she�s gotten was strongly in favor of the option to order online.
Enderle joined the staff of nearly 20 full- and part-time employees back in January, and worked on marketing and building the existing Facebook following.
Enderle and the Milams worked together to plan every step of the online-order fulfillment, from building the website to setting up the stock room for maximum efficiency.
Customers can order directly from the company�s website at mkaysupply.com, and pay by credit card or PayPal, Enderle said.
There�s an assembly-line feel to the fulfillment center, and that�s intentional, Enderle said. It helps with quality control, she said, as she double-checks every order to be sure the correct item is going out, packaged attractively and ready to go.
�And that all contributes to the speed of service to the customer,� Enderle added.
Enderle said they know they can�t compete with giants such as Amazon, so instead, they focus on doing what they can do.
They can have a deli order ready for a customer making a 15-minute drive on a 30-minute lunch break.
They can know customers by name, and treat them as if they�re family.
�We�re about making everyone feel like they�re a part of this,� she said.
Each order gets a hand-signed tag with information about M Kay Supply, and a note of appreciation for customers� business.
�It�s like the tag says: We are large enough to serve you and small enough to care,� Milam said, smiling. �We wanted customers to know this is about you.�
mniederkorn@semissourian.com
(573) 388-3630
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