Local stores and small chains that have online ordering/pick-up options

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Super S
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Local stores and small chains that have online ordering/pick-up options

Post by Super S »

I have noticed a few local stores starting to offer online ordering/pick-up services. I have only used them a few times with mixed results. A few are right on top of things and have everything ready when promised. However, I recently went to a regional chain where I ordered and paid for something, and my order was literally still sitting on the printer when I went to the store an hour later without even being looked at. I have also been to another where, despite me having proof that I ordered for pickup locally, the order somehow was sent to a location in another town. (in that case they blamed an outside vendor hired for deliveries) It seems that some of the smaller chains do not have the best infrastructure in place to support this. It seems that some are not taking this seriously despite some of the same stores are among those being clobbered by the likes of Amazon.

What experiences are others having?
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Re: Local stores and small chains that have online ordering/pick-up options

Post by Super S »

It seems that many of these local operations have scaled this way back and/or dropped this altogether. There was a surge in this with the pandemic, but as time has gone on, and stores for the most part have stopped enforcing mask mandates to avoid confrontations, political rants, etc. a lot of people have returned to their old shopping habits.
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Re: Local stores and small chains that have online ordering/pick-up options

Post by storewanderer »

Quite a few smaller chains and some wholesalers did implement pick up programs. Many of these are linked to their inventory systems/linked to the point of sale systems so the biggest "hassle" here was to set the thing up and once it is set up it can just be there as an option for the customers to use anytime in the future.

For instance some random independents got involved with a program called Rosie.

https://shop.rosieapp.com/store-selector

Others I've seen use a different service:
This one https://shop.marketon.com/online is powered by https://www.egrowcery.com/

If the sales volume is low you just run a courtesy clerk to pick the few orders that come through.
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Re: Local stores and small chains that have online ordering/pick-up options

Post by bryceleinan »

C-A-L Ranch stores (30-ish locations in ID/UT/NV/AZ) started an in-store pickup system... I have not tried it as of yet in our Carson City, NV location since it's always been a hot mess every time I am in there.

Wilco Farm Stores (another chain around the same size as C-A-L Ranch operating in CA/OR/WA) just started online ordering and pick-up as well.

Coastal Farm (Wilco's big competitor in OR / WA and is similar size to both Wilco and C-A-L Ranch) offers online ordering and pick-up as well.

D&B Supply (ID/OR) offers online ordering and pickup. They're a bit smaller than C-A-L Ranch, Coastal, or Wilco, but operate in the same or adjoining markets.

Cascade Farm and Outdoor / Bi-Mart offer online ordering and pickup at any store.

What's interesting is that C-A-L Ranch and Wilco both use True Value, and Coastal Farm uses Do-it-Best. C-A-L Ranch, D&B, and Coastal are also co-owners of the same distribution company (Mid-States Distribution) along with a bunch of the Big R ownership groups in various states (our local one in Nevada / Burns, OR) is one of them. I'm not sure who Cascade / Bi-Mart uses, but wouldn't surprise me if they do use Mid-States or Worldwide.
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