Not every pandemic-era innovation stood the test of time. But curbside pickup? That one’s here to stay.
What began as a safety workaround has evolved into a customer favorite, offering the kind of speed and convenience that shoppers now expect. It’s become a key part of customer experience optimization across the retail industry, with major brands incorporating it into their core fulfillment strategies.
Today, curbside pickup is more than a convenience. It’s a moment of truth for your brand that can influence customer satisfaction, loyalty, and operational efficiency. This guide shows you how to turn a once-temporary solution into a lasting competitive edge.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
The rise of curbside post-pandemic (and the impact on customer expectations)
Curbside pickup existed before the pandemic, but it was more of a niche offering used by specialist retailers or a small subset of customers. At the time, skipping in-store visits felt unusual, even inconvenient.
Then came a global shift. Practically overnight, curbside pickup became the gold standard for social distancing in retail. Customers could shop safely online, drive to the store, and collect their purchases without leaving their vehicles.
As Ipsos retail expert Silvana Daehn put it, “What started during COVID-19 as a necessity has morphed into a method of shopping that people didn’t realize they needed in their everyday lives.”
According to Digital Commerce 360, customers love curbside pickup because it’s fast, convenient, and eliminates shipping costs. Some even say it helps them spend less overall.
Retailers see benefits, too. The same report found that customer conversion rates are higher for curbside pickup than for in-store shopping or “buy online, pick up in-store” (BOPIS). And when customers can inspect items at handoff, returns may drop as well.
The result is more sales, fewer returns, and lower costs, all in a challenging retail climate.
But with those curbside pickup options come higher expectations. Today’s customers want fast, seamless experiences. That puts pressure on retailers to manage online orders, parking lot traffic, wait times, and in-person handoffs with precision.
To meet those expectations and unlock the full benefits of curbside pickup, you’ll need the right mix of policies, tools, and workflows.
Building a foundation: Policies and processes for online orders and pickup
A great curbside pickup process starts in-store. While curbside pickup services feel quick and seamless to the customer (just drive up, check in, and collect), a lot is happening behind the scenes.
To keep things running smoothly, you’ll need clearly defined roles and repeatable procedures. That way, your team can handle a high volume of orders while delivering consistently strong service.
Start by optimizing these areas:
Defining roles from order fulfillment to hand-off
To keep curbside pickup running smoothly, every step needs a clear owner. That means assigning specific team members to specific tasks, from receiving the order to completing the handoff.
Start by defining who’s responsible for picking and packaging items, confirming when an order is ready, communicating with the customer, and bringing the order to their vehicle. Depending on your setup, you may also want to designate roles for greeting customers, helping load items, or offering product support on the spot.
Standardizing pickup zones and signage
Just like team roles, physical spaces in the curbside process need to be clearly defined.
In a busy parking lot, especially at a big-box store, there’s already a lot happening: cars pulling in and out, customers loading vehicles, kids in tow, and designated parking spots for pedestrians or those with disabilities.
To reduce confusion, create a dedicated pickup area where customers can check in, wait, and collect their orders. Use clear, consistent signage to make the pickup location easy to spot and navigate.
If you serve a high volume of customers, consider numbering individual parking spots within the pickup area to keep traffic flowing. Make sure all signage reflects your brand visuals and tone, from colors and fonts to copy style.
Training staff for speed and friendliness
Efficiency and friendliness are essential in any customer-facing role, but curbside pickup adds its own set of challenges. Store staff need task-specific training to deliver the fast, reliable service customers expect.
Since speed and convenience are the main reasons people choose curbside pickup, team members should be trained to prioritize both, whether they’re picking items, packing orders, or completing the handoff. Timely communication is just as important, so customers aren’t left wondering if their order is on the way.
Digital order flow and confirmation links
Curbside pickup orders may end with an in-person handoff, but they still carry the same expectations as any online shopping experience. Customers want timely updates, clear instructions, and a smooth journey from purchase to pickup.
To meet those demands, retailers need a reliable digital order flow that uses short links to streamline communication, QR Codes to keep information current, and link tracking to monitor engagement.
Here’s how to make it all work.
Using short, branded URLs in SMS or email
Almost every customer touchpoint in curbside pickup involves a link, from order confirmations to pickup instructions. One simple way to improve customer touchpoints is by using a URL shortener like Bitly to create clean, easy-to-share links.
With Bitly, you can shorten long, complex URLs into just a few characters. You can also customize the back half of each link with a relevant phrase or keyword to give customers clarity and confidence about where it leads.
Depending on your plan, you can take it a step further by adding a custom domain that reflects your brand, replacing the standard Bitly URL with your own. For example:
yourstore.com/pickup-ready
These branded links look more professional, help build trust, and make your curbside communications feel more cohesive from end to end.
Bitly Codes for order status updates
Things can change quickly during order fulfillment, whether it’s a new pickup time, an updated status, or revised instructions. Bitly Codes make it easy to keep customers informed without creating or distributing new codes.
All Bitly Codes are dynamic by default, meaning you can update the destination URL at any time, even after the code has been printed or shared. Just log in to your Bitly account to edit the link, and customers will be directed to the latest version automatically, whether that’s a tracking page, revised instructions, or a new pickup location.
It’s a simple way to keep the experience smooth, even when plans change.
Integrating UTM tracking for marketing insight
When you use links to manage curbside pickup, every click becomes a source of insight. Tracking how customers engage with those links can help you refine your communication strategy and improve the overall experience.
With Bitly, you can create UTM links—short URLs with built-in tracking parameters that indicate where a link appeared, which campaign it belongs to, and how customers found it.
They appear at the end of a link and feed valuable data into your analytics tools. For example, you might compare UTM links in email and SMS reminders to see which channel drives more pickup confirmations or whether customers are more likely to engage on mobile or desktop.
Bitly makes it easy to create, manage, and analyze UTM links at scale—so you can make smarter decisions with each new campaign.
Real‑time communication via QR Codes and short links
Like curbside pickup, QR Codes surged in popularity during the pandemic and stuck around for good reason. They’re flexible, mobile-friendly, and easy to place anywhere. You can use codes to share just about anything: digital check-ins, checkout pages, product details, contact info, or even QR Codes for mobile orders.
They’re especially useful in curbside pickup. From helping customers check in to displaying wait time estimates or verifying order details, QR Codes and short links make the experience faster, easier, and more reliable.
Here are just a few ways they can improve the curbside process for both customers and staff.
Customer arrival check‑in flow
When customers arrive curbside, their first priority is making sure you know they’re there and that their order is on the way.
However, check-ins can get chaotic if customers have to leave their cars, track down a store associate, or call the store directly. QR Codes and short links offer a more scalable, seamless option.
By displaying a QR Code or short link on signage at the pickup point, customers can check in instantly from their phones. A quick scan or tap registers their arrival so your team can bring out their order without delay.
This kind of automation helps reduce waiting times and improves the overall experience. No awkward phone calls or guessing games required.
“I’m here” digital prompts vs. phone calls
In the early days of curbside pickup, customers were often asked to call the store when they arrived. But that system quickly proved frustrating for everyone involved.
Phone lines are limited, and store staff can’t always step away from packing orders to answer calls. On top of that, phone numbers can be misdialed, misprinted, or, worst case, mistakenly routed to someone’s personal line.
Digital check-ins are a more scalable solution. QR Codes can handle unlimited scans, and short links are easy to type and use on any device. If your pickup process changes, you can update the linked content without replacing the code.
It’s faster for customers and more efficient for your team.
2‑way communication and ETA alerts
When automation is in place, there will be times when customers need to connect with your team directly, like checking on an ETA or resolving an issue with their order.
QR Codes and short links make that connection easy. With just one tap, customers can open an SMS chat, launch a web-based help page, or access mobile app support.
You can use Bitly Links to route customers to whatever channel makes the most sense, whether that’s a phone number, online chat, virtual business card, or mobile app. While Bitly doesn’t provide messaging or ETA functionality itself, it helps bridge the gap by directing customers to the right place fast.
Tips to improve staff workflows and operations
Short links and QR Codes can also simplify operations behind the scenes. Curbside pickup presents new challenges for retailers: managing wait times, coordinating staff, and maintaining strong service standards, all at once.
The good news is that with the right tools and workflows, you can streamline day-to-day tasks to get the most out of your curbside program. Here are a few ways to do it..
Use short links to surface tasks for staff
With curbside pickup, orders come in continuously, and customers often choose their own collection slot. That can make task management tricky because some orders can wait while others need immediate attention.
Short links and QR Codes help keep everyone in sync. For example, you could post a QR Code that directs team members to a live dashboard of prioritized customer orders. Staff can instantly access up-to-date information, so they always know what needs to happen next, and managers can see at a glance that each step of the process is covered.
This visibility improves daily operations and reduces miscommunication, making curbside pickup faster and less stressful for everyone involved.
Monitor queueing and demand peaks
With Bitly Links, you’re not limited to basic click counts. You can also track the date, approximate location, and referral source of each click.
That data provides a clearer picture of demand across your stores. For example, you could filter link traffic by location at the city or country level to identify your busiest days and adjust staffing or processes accordingly..
Pro tip: Pair link analytics with other store data (like POS reports or in-store foot traffic data) to predict demand surges even more accurately and plan ahead for peak periods like holidays or weekend sales.
Use contactless handoff best practices
While contactless curbside pickup isn’t as essential as it once was, it’s still a valuable option for many customers, especially those with health concerns, accessibility needs, or a preference for fast, low-contact service.
Offering a contactless handoff can enhance comfort and efficiency without compromising service quality. It starts with two essentials: designated spaces and clear communication.
For example, you might use a kiosk, lockbox, or table for contactless pickup. These should be marked clearly and placed for easy access without creating crowding or confusion.
From there, use short links or QR Codes to share instructions, like how to check in, unlock a box, or confirm receipt. For individual orders, mobile-friendly links can deliver auto-generated receipts or status updates directly to the customer’s device.
Contactless may not be required in every case, but when it’s available, it can make the experience more seamless and inclusive.
Keep checklists via mobile links
Every curbside pickup order deserves the same level of care, whether it’s a quiet afternoon or the holiday rush. But with orders coming in quickly and multiple steps to manage, small details easily slip through the cracks.
Short links and QR Codes help keep everyone on track. Share mobile-friendly checklists that team members can access with one tap to confirm each step before handing off an order. No more incorrect items or lost receipts!
Consider local nuance vs. centralized control
Every store is different. Even with a standardized, branded curbside experience, local nuances like available parking space, peak hours, or customer volume can affect how things run.
Short links and QR Codes make it easier to balance consistency with flexibility. For example, every store might use the same QR Code checklist to maintain order quality, while individual locations can receive custom short links for localized dashboards, task flows, or internal updates. It’s a scalable way to stay on brand while adapting to on-the-ground needs.
Monitor performance across stores
The links you use for curbside pickup offer valuable insight into store-level performance. By tracking clicks and scans at each location, you gain a clearer picture of how teams are executing and where there’s room to improve.
Bitly Analytics gives you real-time visibility into:
- Clicks and scans over time
- Device types
- Geographic distribution
- Referral sources
- Top-performing links and QR Codes
When paired with tools like Google Analytics or heat maps, you can uncover richer insights, like how customers navigate your digital experience, where they drop off, or which pickup instructions lead to the most follow-through.
Together, these tools give you both high-level trends and detailed insights to optimize performance across stores.
What to focus on for measurement and optimization
There’s always room to improve customer service, and curbside pickup is no exception. Even high-performing programs benefit from regular measurement and fine-tuning.
Tracking the right metrics helps you streamline fulfillment, increase customer satisfaction, and cut down on costly returns. Here are three key areas to monitor and optimize over time.
Customer wait time and satisfaction tracking
Speed is one of the main reasons customers choose curbside pickup, making wait time a key metric for measuring success.
Use data from your fulfillment software or point-of-sale (POS) system to track how quickly orders move from ready to handed off. By measuring the time between each step of the pickup process, you can identify bottlenecks and make targeted improvements to keep things moving faster.
Total clicks on alerts and follow‑ups
Click data helps you see when customers engage, which messages resonate most, and how often they return to key information.
For example, tracking link traffic in order reminders sent by SMS and email can show which channel gets more attention. You might uncover that customers skip pickup reminders but engage heavily with post-purchase messages or review links.
If you notice a drop-off in engagement at a certain stage in the pickup process, those insights can help you pinpoint where customers are losing interest in the funnel and adjust accordingly.
A/B test pickup reminders and calls‑to‑action
Bitly link tracking makes it easy to run A/B tests with your customers. You can experiment with different versions of the same notification, tweaking the timing, visuals, or message to learn what performs best.
Assign a unique UTM to each variant, then use Bitly Analytics to track clicks and compare results. Over time, you’ll see which messages drive the most engagement.
A/B testing shouldn’t be a one-time task. Run tests regularly to refine your curbside experience, keep your messaging fresh, and strengthen customer loyalty with every interaction.
Tips for branding and experience consistency and loyalty
Curbside pickup has become a valued service across retail, whether customers are grabbing groceries or picking up a last-minute gift. What they want is simple: speed, convenience, and as little friction as possible.
And while this process might sound purely transactional (and often automated), it’s still a key opportunity to deliver warm service and strengthen customer loyalty.
Here are a few ways to make your curbside experience feel more branded, consistent, and memorable.
Using branded URLs to reinforce identity
Branded links replace long or generic URLs with short, custom links that include your brand name. They often give customers a hint about where the link leads, like a check-in page or loyalty sign-up.
They serve two key purposes. First, they build trust. Customers feel more confident clicking a link that clearly comes from your brand. Branded QR Codes can do the same by including your logo in the design, which helps reassure users who are cautious about scams.
Second, branded links create a more polished, consistent customer experience. Even if the curbside process is complex behind the scenes, your customers see a clear, cohesive flow at every touchpoint.
It’s no surprise that branded links get over twice as many click-throughs as generic links.
Coordinating curbside with in‑store branding
When curbside pickup first rolled out, most retailers launched it quickly out of necessity. Social distancing came first—branding was an afterthought.
But today, consistency matters. A disjointed curbside experience is a missed opportunity to build trust and reinforce customer loyalty.
Start by aligning curbside signage with your in-store branding, from colors and fonts to tone of voice. Uniforms, greetings, and service standards should feel familiar, too. Even though curbside is a separate channel, customers still expect it to reflect the same brand they know inside your store.
Post‑pickup surveys and incentives
Curbside pickup is a great moment to check in with customers, especially when the experience goes smoothly. Use it as a chance to gather quick feedback through a short post-purchase survey.
To get maximum engagement, keep it simple. Customers are less likely to complete a survey if the link is long and complicated, the page loads slowly, or the form feels overwhelming.
Short links and QR Codes make it easy to share surveys at key touchpoints, like check-in signage, printed receipts, or order confirmation screens. With just a quick scan or tap, customers can respond on the spot.
Integrating pickups into loyalty programs
Want to boost loyalty program sign-ups? Offer a little incentive. Utilize short links and QR Codes to deliver rewards like points, exclusive discounts, or bonus digital content right when customers are most engaged.
You can include these links and codes on receipts, in pickup confirmation emails, or at the end of a post-purchase survey. Whether it’s a thank-you or a surprise perk, these moments help turn a one-time pickup into long-term customer loyalty.
Build a seamless curbside experience to drive retail success
Curbside pickup has evolved from an emergency fix into a lasting customer expectation. Today, it’s not just about convenience—it’s about speed, clarity, and consistency at every touchpoint. To stay competitive, retailers need more than a functional process. They need a curbside experience that builds trust, reflects the brand, and keeps customers coming back.
That’s where Bitly can help. With branded short links and QR Codes, you can guide customers through every stage of the pickup journey, from order confirmation to check-in and post-purchase feedback.
Bitly also helps your team work more efficiently with mobile-friendly tools that align staff on priorities, handoffs, and real-time updates. And with built-in analytics, you’ll get the valuable insights you need to optimize operations and elevate the experience across every location.
Want faster, smarter curbside pickup? Get started with Bitly today and build lasting customer loyalty with every order.
