Nearly one in five American consumers prefer the option of buy online, pickup anywhere or BOPA vs. more expensive home delivery if it’s offered at checkout, according to a new study from Via.Delivery.
In a study of thousands of ecommerce transactions in Q4 2021, Via.Delivery found 18% of American consumers would choose BOPA over residential delivery, including pickup at pharmacy chains and convenience stores. And half of consumers said they’re saving on shipping with BOPA vs. home delivery.
Cost savings was the number-one factor to choose BOPA, cited by 50% of consumers, followed by security, convenience and keeping deliveries private, at 15% each.
The BOPA trend is much more pronounced in Eastern Europe and Parts of Asia, Via.Delivery found, with 70% of deliveries going to alternate locations vs. 30% opting for ship to home.
In the U.S., the cities with the highest use of BOPA and shipping to alternative locations were, in order, New York, Chicago, Portland, OR, Seattle, Austin, Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to the survey. Four of those cities ranked in the top 7 for porch piracy, including San Francisco (number 2), Seattle (number 4), Austin (number 6) and Portland, OR (number 7).
The other cities leading in that dubious category were Denver (number 1), Salt Lake City (number 3) and San Antonio (number 5).
More than 90% of Americans live within 5 miles of a BOPA location, according to Via.Delivery data, and over half of those who have used it live within 1 mile of a pickup point. Both UPS and FedEx have networks with thousands of local pickup points, either at their own locations or partner sites.
“The nearby proximity of pickup locations makes BOPA not only convenient, but also a sustainable delivery option,” the company said in its report. “Shoppers who live near a BOPA location can reduce the carbon footprint of their delivery by walking or biking to pick up their package.”
Via.Delivery, which launched in Russia, expanded to the U.S. last fall, offering store pickup options for smaller retail and ecommerce businesses, featuring 21,000+ pickup locations at pharmacies, quickie marts and grocery stores.