How is Curbside Pick-up Supposed to Work for Most Retailers?
On Friday, April 17th, Governor Greg Abbott announced a set of guidelines for re-opening Texas. The Great Reopening will go in stages and it’s the one scheduled for April 24 (this Friday) that I have the most questions about.
I don’t have a problem with loosening restrictions, as long as it’s not contradicting the best advice from medical experts in the appropriate fields. But I don’t understand how most retail stores are going to offer “curbside pick-up to-go shopping”. That’s what the schedule has happening on Friday of this week.
“Customers may not enter the premises but can purchase items for pickup and delivery. Contact should be minimized as much as possible.”
I realize restaurants have been finding ways to serve food to-go. Texas Roadhouse really seems to have it down to an art form. And, I understand how retailers like Target and Wal-Mart are managing (HINT: they’re letting customers go inside and pick out what they want…AKA: shopping as usual). But how are most retailers going to make it work.
Let’s just use, for example, Burlington Coat Factory because I really love to shop at Burlington. Whenever I do shop at Burlington, I don’t know what I want beyond “a shirt” or “maybe some pants”. How would you even order a shirt from Ross Dress for Less? “Yeah, I want to order a blue polo-shirt size Large, to go please. Oh, you have more than one? Can you just bring them all out to the curb so I can see?” It’s not like Marshall’s has a menu. They DO have a website but that’s shut-down. Even if it WERE up and running, it’s not like every Marshall’s store has the same inventory.
And don’t get me started on Tuesday Morning. I love Tuesday Morning but I’ve never once gone in thinking, “I am definitely here to get a wrought-iron bird bath in the shape of a sea-horse.” And has anyone EVER gone in to a Pier One with a PLAN to buy something?
It seems to me that the idea of curbside pick-up for most retail stores is forgetting one important aspect: the shopping.
But, I guess it’s a step in the (possibly) right direction?
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