24763 Chap.4 Webrooming, Showrooming and BOPIS, BOSS, BORIS
Webrooming, Showrooming and BOPIS, BOSS, BORIS
The start of the journey
Webrooming is researching online and buying in store; showrooming is the reverse. Module 2 separates them by focus, direction of purchase and motivation.
The end of the journey
BOPIS, BOSS and BORIS complete the purchase: pick up in store, ship to store when local stock is missing, and return in store.
Each suits different products and returns data that supports up-selling and cross-selling.
What marketers learn from fulfilment
How customers use pickup and return options becomes data about cart values, products and locations.
Combined with location data and a CRM, it shows where up-selling and cross-selling are likely to work, and it rewards flexible store layouts.
Where it shows up in assessment
The prototype’s experience criterion names web and showrooming and all three fulfilment options, tied to your persona.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Webrooming: online research, store purchase
- 02
Showrooming: store research, online purchase
- 03
Buy online, pick up in store
- 04
Buy online, ship to store and the endless aisle
- 05
Buy online, return in store
- 06
Which option suits which category
Worked example · free
Pick the right option for three electronics orders
- 1Headphones: BOPIS, because the item is in local stock and can be collected the same day.
- 1Television: BOSS, because the chosen store lacks stock, so the order is shipped there first.
- 1Keyboard: BORIS, because a counter return is quicker than posting it back, and staff can add a related sale such as a cable or a replacement.
Key terms
- Endless Aisle
- The impression that every item is available because orders can draw on stock from any location.
- Kerbside Pickup
- Collecting an online order outside the store, a form of BOPIS that grew during the pandemic.
Webrooming, Showrooming and BOPIS, BOSS, BORIS FAQ
Is showrooming bad news for stores?
Not necessarily. Showroomers explore in store and buy online, often for price or convenience, but a retailer with its own website can still win that sale. The module’s study also found omnichannel shoppers webrooming more than showrooming, with prior research raising their store spending.
Why does BOSS take longer than BOPIS?
BOPIS assumes the item is already in the chosen store, so it can be collected quickly. BOSS exists for the case where it is not, so the order has to be shipped to the store first. Customers accept the wait to save on shipping and collect nearby.
Where do these behaviours sit in the buying process?
Webrooming and showrooming describe where research happens at the start of the process. BOPIS, BOSS and BORIS sit near the end, when the purchase is completed, collected or returned. The prototype rubric names both groups in its experience criterion.
Which products suit BOPIS and which suit BOSS?
The module suggests BOPIS for regular grocery or beauty orders that are usually in local stock, and BOSS for consumer electronics, home and garden goods or larger apparel orders, where the chosen store may not hold the item and it has to be shipped there first.
How does BORIS help a retailer as well as the customer?
It makes online returns simpler, which lifts satisfaction, and it brings the customer into a store where staff can offer an exchange or a better fit. The module calls it a win for both sides, improving the store experience and making operations more efficient.
What motivates webroomers and showroomers?
The module says webroomers research online but want the immediacy and tangibility of buying in a shop, while showroomers inspect products in store but are motivated by a better deal or a more convenient online checkout, often found by comparing prices on a phone.
Assessment move
Draw two lanes, online and store, and practise placing each of the five behaviours on them. For each fulfilment option, write one product category it suits and the stock condition that triggers it, then check a retailer’s website to see which options it offers. Then sketch the website screen that would let your persona choose between pickup, ship to store and delivery, and the returns page that books a counter return.
Visiting a store that offers click and collect, and noting how long pickup took and what else you were offered, gives you evidence a marker will value.
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