BOPIS & Curbside Holiday Playbook 2025: Setup, Policies, Tools

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Peak season exposes every weakness in your pickup program. Missed "ready by" times frustrate customers. Jammed parking lots create chaos. Confused staff slow everything down. I've seen stores lose thousands in sales because they couldn't execute basic curbside pickup during the holiday rush.

Here's the good news: you can fix all of this in about a week.

This playbook gives you everything you need to launch or scale BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) for Holiday 2025. You'll get Shopify setup steps, policy templates benchmarked against Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, free signage you can print today, and a calculator that helps you set pickup promises you can actually keep.

I've spent months analyzing how the big retailers handle hundreds of pickup orders daily. Their systems work because they follow principles you can copy—regardless of your store size. Whether you're launching BOPIS for the first time or fixing a broken program, this guide shows you exactly what to do.

How to Set Up BOPIS on Shopify (Step-by-Step)

Setting up BOPIS on Shopify takes about 30 minutes if you know the right steps. The admin configuration is straightforward, but the operational setup—where most stores stumble—requires more planning.

Admin Configuration (Settings)

Start in your Shopify admin dashboard. Navigate to Settings → Shipping and delivery. You'll see a section called "Local pickup" or "Pickup in store"—the exact label depends on your Shopify plan and region.

Click Add pickup. Select which retail locations you want to offer for pickup. If you only have one store, this is simple. Multiple locations? Choose strategically based on inventory levels and staff capacity.

Set your processing time—how long between order placement and when the item is ready. Most stores promise 30 minutes to 2 hours for same-day. During holiday peaks, I recommend padding this to 2-4 hours so you have buffer room. You can always prepare orders faster than promised.

Write your pickup instructions. Customers see this at checkout and in confirmation emails. Include where to park, which entrance to use, whether they need ID, and your phone number for questions. Example: "Park in designated BOPIS spots (stalls 1-4). Call or text (555) 123-4567 when you arrive. Have order number and photo ID ready."

Preview how the pickup option appears in your checkout flow. It should show clearly alongside shipping options, with the location address and your processing time promise.

Shopify POS Workflow

The real magic happens in Shopify POS—this is where your staff actually fulfills pickup orders. According to Shopify's pickup documentation, you need POS to manage the "Ready for pickup" status and customer handoff.

When an order comes in, it appears in your POS under "Pickup orders." Your picker pulls the items from inventory, stages them in a designated area (numbered shelves work great), and marks the order Ready for pickup in POS.

Marking it ready triggers the customer notification—usually SMS and email. Print a QR code pickup slip from POS and attach it to the staged order bag. When the customer arrives, scan their QR code to confirm identity and complete the pickup transaction.

Notification Setup

Customers need three key notifications: order confirmation (automatic), ready for pickup (automatic when you mark it in POS), and reminders if they haven't picked up after 24-48 hours (requires apps or manual follow-up).

Customize your notification templates in Settings → Notifications. The "Order ready for pickup" template is critical. Make sure it includes the order number prominently, your store address with parking instructions, hours, and a "Bring photo ID" reminder.

Test the complete flow end-to-end before launch. Place a test order, pick it, mark it ready, and verify you receive proper notifications. Have a friend or family member attempt the pickup to spot any confusion points.

Want the complete setup checklist? Our Shopify BOPIS Setup Guide walks through every screen with screenshots and troubleshooting tips.

Holiday BOPIS Best Practices (2025 Edition)

The difference between BOPIS programs that work and those that fail comes down to operational discipline. Here's what actually matters during the holiday rush.

Same-Day Cutoffs & Promise Times

Don't promise same-day pickup if you can't consistently deliver it. I've watched stores alienate customers by missing their own deadlines. Set your cutoff based on realistic capacity—not optimistic projections.

A safe formula: take your store's closing time and subtract your processing promise plus 60 minutes of buffer. If you close at 8pm and promise 2-hour pickup, your same-day cutoff should be 5pm. Orders after 5pm become next-day pickups.

During the week before Christmas, consider moving to next-day-only pickup. The volume surge makes same-day nearly impossible to execute reliably. According to 2024 holiday retail analyses, major retailers adjust pickup windows during peak weeks—you should too.

Hold Times & Cancellation Policies

How long do you hold orders before canceling them? This matters more than you think. Too short and customers get frustrated. Too long and you tie up inventory and staging space.

Industry benchmarks from Target's Drive Up policies show they hold orders for 3 days. Best Buy holds for 5 days. Walmart cancels by end of next business day for groceries and perishables, longer for general merchandise.

I recommend a 3-day hold for most products, with daily reminder texts or emails. For holiday peak, extend to 5 days to accommodate busy shoppers. Always cancel gracefully—refund immediately and send a kind message explaining why.

Staffing Model: Picker, Runner, Greeter

Small stores (under 20 pickups per day) can handle BOPIS with existing staff. Medium volume (20-50 per day) needs a dedicated picker during peak hours. High volume (50+ per day) requires a three-person system.

Picker: Pulls items from shelves, verifies against order, stages in numbered slots. Focuses on speed and accuracy. Works inside the store full-time.

Runner: Monitors the POS pickup queue, takes staged orders to customers (curbside) or meets them at the pickup counter. Verifies ID, completes handoff, marks order as fulfilled. Moves between inside and parking lot.

Greeter (optional, peak times only): Directs arriving customers to correct stalls, answers questions, manages queue if multiple customers arrive simultaneously. This role prevents bottlenecks.

During Black Friday week, staff one picker per 30 expected orders per day. If you anticipate 150 pickups on Black Friday, you need five pickers across your operating hours.

Queue & Parking Layout

Customers need obvious answers to two questions: "Where do I park?" and "How do I let them know I'm here?"

Dedicate 3-6 parking stalls near your entrance as BOPIS-only. Mark them with large, high-contrast signs—"BOPIS Pickup Only" in 24×36 inch format minimum. Number each stall (1, 2, 3, 4) so customers can text "I'm in stall 3" rather than describing their car.

Install A-frame signs at the parking lot entrance directing to pickup stalls. Many customers will miss your curbside area on first visit without directional signage.

Inside your store, create a designated staging area—numbered shelves or cubbies work best. Match the staging numbers to POS order numbers so staff can quickly locate any order. "Order #1234 goes in slot 34" (use last two digits) creates instant findability.

Need signage templates? Check our free curbside pickup signage templates—print-ready files you can use today.

Returns at Pickup

About 5-8% of pickup customers want to return or exchange something while they're there. Have a policy and post it clearly at your pickup area.

Most retailers allow returns at pickup with some restrictions. Target allows returns during Drive Up but requires the customer to come inside for processing. Best Buy processes returns at pickup counter. Walmart varies by location.

My recommendation: allow returns at pickup but only for items not yet handed over. "You can return any item from a previous order—just come inside to customer service. Items in today's pickup can be exchanged now if we have the replacement in stock."

This keeps the pickup flow fast while still being customer-friendly. Post a simple sign: "Returns? Come inside to Customer Service. Exchanges on today's pickup? Let us know before we hand over your order."

For comprehensive holiday tactics, read our full BOPIS Best Practices for Holiday 2025 guide.

BOPIS Policies with Real Benchmarks

Your policies need to be clear, customer-friendly, and operationally realistic. Here's what to define and how the major retailers handle each element.

Hold Times

Most retailers hold pickup orders for 3-5 days before canceling. The hold period starts when you mark the order "Ready for pickup"—not when the customer places the order.

Target holds Drive Up orders for 3 days according to their pickup help center. They send reminders at 24 and 48 hours, then auto-cancel and refund on day 4.

Best Buy holds in-store pickup orders for 5 days per their store pickup FAQ. Extended electronics warranty purchases may have longer holds.

Walmart varies by product category. General merchandise: 7 days. Groceries and perishables: must pick up by end of next business day or order auto-cancels. Their pickup policies specify different windows for different departments.

For your store, I recommend a 3-day hold for general merchandise and next-day for anything perishable, fragile, or high-value. Communicate hold times clearly in pickup instructions and confirmation emails.

ID & Proxy Pickup Rules

Should you require ID? What if someone else picks up the order?

Best practice: Require photo ID matching the order name, or allow alternate pickup person if they have the order number and confirmation email. Most retailers verify the order number and name but show flexibility on exact ID match.

Target requires the order barcode (in their app or email) but doesn't always verify photo ID unless the order is high-value. Best Buy asks for photo ID for electronics over $500. Walmart verifies via their app or a verification code sent to the customer's phone.

For holiday peace of mind, use this policy: "Pickup requires order number and confirmation email. Photo ID required for orders over $200. We can release orders to someone other than the purchaser if they have the order number, confirmation email, and a valid photo ID."

This protects you from fraud while staying customer-friendly when mom sends dad to pick up the kids' presents.

Curbside vs In-Store Pickup

Should you offer both? What's the difference operationally?

In-store pickup: Customer comes inside to a designated counter or customer service desk. Lower staffing needs but less convenient for customers with kids, mobility issues, or time constraints.

Curbside pickup: Customer stays in their car. You bring the order out. Requires dedicated parking, signage, and a "runner" role. More labor but significantly higher customer satisfaction.

Target's Drive Up is pure curbside—customers never leave their cars. Best Buy offers both but defaults to in-store counter pickup. Walmart lets customers choose at checkout.

If you're resource-constrained, start with in-store pickup only. Once you're processing 30+ orders per day, add curbside as an option. The labor investment pays off in customer satisfaction and repeat pickup usage.

Fees & Minimum Order Value

Should BOPIS be free? Should you require a minimum order amount?

The big retailers don't charge for pickup service—it's positioned as a free convenience that saves on shipping. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy all offer free pickup with no minimum (though some promotions may require minimums for free shipping alternatives).

I recommend making BOPIS completely free with no minimum order value. You want to encourage adoption. The operational cost per pickup is usually $2-4 (labor, materials, space)—far less than shipping or customer acquisition costs.

If you absolutely need to control volume, use processing time promises instead of fees. "Orders over $50: ready in 2 hours. Orders under $50: ready next day." This naturally prioritizes higher-value orders without charging fees that discourage usage.

For a complete policy toolkit, grab our BOPIS policy examples with copy-ready templates.

Signage, Directions & Customer Communications

Clear signage is the difference between smooth pickups and frustrated customers circling your parking lot. Here's what you actually need.

Essential Signage (Minimum Viable)

At minimum, you need three sign types:

1. Parking lot entrance directional: A-frame or standing sign that says "BOPIS Pickup →" pointing toward your designated stalls. Place this where customers enter the lot. Size: 24×36 inches minimum for visibility from a moving vehicle.

2. Parking stall markers: Large ground signs or pavement markings for each BOPIS stall. Text: "BOPIS Pickup Only / Stall #1" (number each stall). Size: 24×36 inch standing signs or pavement stencils.

3. Window decal or entrance sign: Visible from your parking area, confirms customers are at the right location. Text: "BOPIS Pickup Here / Call (555) 123-4567 When You Arrive." Size: 18×24 inches minimum.

Use high-contrast colors—black text on yellow/orange background for daytime, reflective materials for nighttime visibility. Avoid all-caps unless necessary; title case is more readable at distance.

Free Downloadable Templates

You don't need a designer or a print shop to get professional BOPIS signage. We've created print-ready templates you can download, customize with your store info, and print locally.

Our curbside pickup signage templates include:

• A-frame directional signs (24×36, PDF)
• Numbered stall signs (#1-6, editable)
• Window decals with phone number fields
• Printer specifications (paper, color vs B&W, lamination tips)
• ADA compliance notes for contrast and visibility

Print on weather-resistant paper, laminate if possible, and mount on stakes or stands from any hardware store. Total cost: under $50 for a complete signage system.

Pickup Instructions Copy

Customers need three pieces of information delivered at three moments: checkout, confirmation email, and "ready for pickup" notification.

At checkout (inline during order flow):
"Pick up at [Store Name], [Address]. Ready in [X] hours. Park in BOPIS stalls 1-4 (near main entrance). Call or text (555) 123-4567 when you arrive. Bring photo ID and order number."

Order confirmation email:
"We're preparing your order for pickup at [Store Name]. You'll receive a 'Ready for Pickup' text/email when it's staged—usually within [X] hours during business hours. When you arrive, park in our designated BOPIS stalls (marked with numbers 1-4) near the main entrance. Call or text us at (555) 123-4567 with your stall number and order #. We'll bring your order out. Please have photo ID ready. Orders held for 3 days."

"Ready for pickup" notification:
"Good news! Order #1234 is ready for pickup at [Store Name]. We're open until [time] today. Park in BOPIS stalls 1-4, then call/text (555) 123-4567 with your stall number. Bring photo ID. We'll bring your order right out. We'll hold your order until [date]."

The pattern: location, parking, contact method, ID requirement, hold time. Repeat this consistently across all touchpoints.

Accessibility & Night Visibility

According to ADA signage standards, parking signs must have high color contrast and be mounted 60 inches minimum from ground to sign bottom. For visibility by drivers with vision impairments, use:

• Color contrast ratio of at least 70% (black on yellow = 96%)
• Reflective sheeting rated for your climate (Type III or higher for nighttime)
• Mounting height that isn't obscured by vehicles (60-84 inches optimal)
• Letter height: minimum 4 inches for text readable from 50 feet

For night operations, add simple LED flood lighting aimed at your BOPIS stalls. Customers should clearly see stall numbers and your phone number from inside their vehicles after dark.

SLA Calculator — Promise Times You Can Keep

The biggest mistake stores make? Promising same-day pickup without calculating whether they can actually deliver it. This calculator helps you set realistic ready-times based on your actual capacity.

How to Use This Calculator

Input your daily order volume expectations, your team's pick rate (items per hour), staff per shift, staging capacity, and store hours. The calculator shows your maximum same-day capacity and recommends a processing time promise.

If your inputs show you're over capacity, you'll see a warning to throttle same-day pickup—shift to next-day for orders after your cutoff time.

Reading Your Results

The calculator outputs three key numbers:

Maximum daily capacity: Based on your pick rate and staff hours, this is the most orders you can prepare in one day. If you're approaching 80% of this number, start planning to add staff or extend processing times.

Recommended promise time: The hours you should promise from order to ready. This includes pick time, staging time, and buffer for unexpected delays. Most stores should promise 2-4 hours for same-day, depending on volume.

Same-day cutoff: The time of day when you should stop accepting same-day pickup orders. Orders after this time become next-day. Calculate this as: closing time minus (promise time + 1 hour buffer).

When to Throttle Same-Day Pickup

Watch for these warning signs that you need to move to next-day-only:

• You're consistently hitting 90%+ of calculated daily capacity
• Orders are taking longer than promised (breaking your SLA)
• Staging area is completely full with no space for new orders
• Customer complaints about wait times are increasing
• Staff are stressed and making picking errors

During the week before Christmas, most retailers shift to next-day pickup only. The volume surge makes same-day promises nearly impossible to keep—and a missed promise damages trust more than a slightly longer wait time.

Implementation Checklist & Go-Live

Here's your week-by-week plan to launch BOPIS before the holiday rush hits.

Week 1: Admin Setup & Testing

Day 1-2: Shopify Configuration

• Enable local pickup in Shopify settings
• Select pickup locations
• Set processing time (start conservative—2-4 hours)
• Write pickup instructions for checkout
• Configure Shopify POS for pickup orders
• Test end-to-end: place test order, pick it, mark ready, verify notifications

Day 3-4: Physical Setup

• Designate staging area inside store (numbered shelves/cubbies)
• Mark 3-6 parking stalls for BOPIS only
• Order or print signage (directional, stall markers, window decals)
• Install signs—test visibility from approaching vehicles
• Set up supplies: bags, tape, pickup slips, markers

Day 5-7: Policy Documentation

• Write hold time policy (recommend 3 days)
• Define ID/proxy pickup rules
• Create return-at-pickup policy
• Document curbside vs in-store procedures
• Add policies to website footer, FAQ, and confirmation emails

Week 2: Staff Training & Soft Launch

Staff Training (60-90 minutes)

• Show how orders appear in POS
• Practice pick workflow: find items, verify, stage, mark ready
• Practice customer handoff: verify ID, scan QR, complete pickup
• Role-play common scenarios (wrong person, returns, item missing)
• Assign roles: who picks, who runs, who covers breaks

Soft Launch (Friends & Family)

• Enable BOPIS but don't promote publicly
• Ask friends/family to place test orders
• Observe and document any confusion or bottlenecks
• Refine signage, instructions, or workflow as needed
• Run 10-20 test pickups before going fully live

Week 3: Full Launch & Monitoring

Go-Live Checklist

• Announce BOPIS via email, social media, website banner
• Monitor first 20 orders closely—watch for patterns
• Track promise time vs actual ready time (aim for 90%+ on-time)
• Collect customer feedback (survey or follow-up email)
• Adjust processing times if consistently early or late

First Week Metrics to Watch

• Orders per day (trending up = good)
• Average time from order to ready (should match your promise)
• Percentage of orders picked up within 24 hours (higher = better)
• Customer service contacts about pickup (lower = better signage/instructions)
• No-show rate (orders not picked up at all—target under 5%)

Holiday Week Playbook (Monday–Sunday)

The week before Christmas requires special operations:

Monday–Wednesday: Normal same-day pickup continues. Add one extra picker if possible.

Thursday: Move same-day cutoff earlier by 2 hours. Start promoting "order by [date] for guaranteed Christmas pickup."

Friday: Consider next-day-only pickup. Volume will spike. Extended staging may be needed (use back room if necessary).

Saturday: Next-day only. All hands on deck for picking and staging. Peak volume day.

Sunday (Christmas Eve): Set cutoff at noon or close BOPIS entirely if closing early. Clear all remaining orders. Enjoy the satisfaction of executing a successful peak season.

For complete technical setup details, see our BOPIS technology stack guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your BOPIS Journey

This playbook gives you the foundation, but there's more to explore:

• Shopify BOPIS Setup: The Complete 2025 Guide — Screenshots and troubleshooting for every Shopify configuration step
• Free Curbside Pickup Signage Templates — Download print-ready signs for stalls, A-frames, and directional markers
• BOPIS Policy Examples with Retailer Benchmarks — Copy-ready policies for hold times, ID rules, and returns
• Same-Day Pickup Store Finder — Searchable directory of retailers with pickup policies and holiday exceptions
• What Is BOPIS? Definition, Examples & When to Use It — Complete introduction to buy online pick up in store retail strategies
• BOPIS Technology Stack: POS, Inventory & Notifications — Technical architecture and system integration guide
• BOPIS vs Delivery: Cost, Speed & Customer Experience — Decision framework with cost comparison calculator

Got questions? Found this helpful? Drop a comment below or share this guide with a fellow retailer preparing for holiday peak.