Development and validation of the pick-up service quality scale of the buy-online-pick-up-in-store service

Abstract

Buy-Online-Pickup in Store (BOPS) service is a popular omnichannel retail initiative, intended to enhance the convenience of online customers. Focusing on the pickup (PU) stage of BOPS service, we develop a comprehensive scale (BOPS-PU-QUAL) for its quality perceived by customers. A multi-step scale development procedure involving one qualitative and two quantitative studies resulted in a scale consisting of 16 items under four dimensions. Service effectiveness is found to be the strongest influencer on quality perceptions of BOPS-PU, followed by problem-handling, ease of access, and item-quality. A structural equation analysis reveals that BOPS-PU-QUAL perceptions positively affect customers' behavioral intentions towards the brand's BOPS service, with the relationship fully mediated by satisfaction with BOPS. This study contributes to omnichannel service quality research by identifying the critical quality dimensions of BOPS pickup service that reflect the uniqueness of BOPS customers. These findings help practitioners realize the importance of managing BOPS-PU service quality and provide practical guidance.

How Does Channel Integration Affect Consumers’ Selection of Omni-Channel Shopping Methods? An Empirical Study of U.S. Consumers

“…Kim et al [16] found that hedonic motivation positively impacted consumers' behavioral intentions toward using BOPI. Other studies revealed that utilitarian value (e.g., save time, money, and effort) was the primary determinant of consumer selection BOPI method [94,95].…”

“…According to Lee et al [94], PBC positively influenced consumers' intentions toward using BOPI because when an order was placed online for in-store pickup, consumers could pick up the order within a short time and check the quality of the product in person. This process makes consumers feel that they have control over the whole shopping process and they are able to reach their goals [94].…”

“…According to Lee et al [94], PBC positively influenced consumers' intentions toward using BOPI because when an order was placed online for in-store pickup, consumers could pick up the order within a short time and check the quality of the product in person. This process makes consumers feel that they have control over the whole shopping process and they are able to reach their goals [94]. Moreover, BOPI service may help reduce the risks of getting defective or wrong products since consumers could reject the products in the store, save shipping cost and waiting time, and receive immediate gratification [87].…”

Consumers going online for big‐box retailers: Exploring the role of feeling disconnected during a pandemic

“…Lee et al. (2020) suggests that perceptions of service effectiveness and ease of use (i.e., buy online, pick‐up offline) satisfy the customer's retail experience (i.e., seek and feel enjoyment). Together, the findings explain the popular implication of the online shopping services into store‐based big‐box retailers with consumers who enjoy the service.…”

Omnichannel service operations with order‐online‐and‐dine‐in‐store strategy

“…The third stream concentrates on omnichannel retailing, some widely used omnichannel fulfillment options were explored in previous studies, such as the buy‐online‐and‐pick‐up‐in‐store (BOPS) (Gao & Su, 2017; Jin et al, 2018; Lee et al, 2020; MacCarthy et al, 2019; Wang et al, 2021; Xu et al, 2021); buy‐online‐and‐return‐to‐store (BORS) (Yan et al, 2020); reserve‐online‐pick‐up‐and‐pay‐in‐store (ROPS) (Zhang et al, 2018); ship‐to‐store (Gallino et al, 2017); ship‐from‐store (He et al, 2021; Li, 2020); showrooms (Li et al, 2019; Zhang et al, 2021); store return options (He et al, 2020; Nageswaran et al, 2020). Although omnichannel fulfillment options have been widely investigated in the retail industry, few studies have explored channel integration in the foodservice industry.…”