Home-improvement retailer Lowe’s plans to install pickup lockers at all U.S. stores by the end of March 2021 in an effort to improve the contractless delivery experience for customers. The retailer said leveraging Buy Online Pickup in Store self-service lockers at its 1,700 U.S. stores will provide a safe, contactless, and easier way for customers to collect same-day online orders at their convenience. Lowe’s said it plans to have the lockers installed in most major metro markets by Thanksgiving.
Lowe’s said it has seen shopping preferences shift online during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To accommodate shifting practices, Lowe’s rolled out curbside pickup to support sustained online growth. The addition of self-service lockers will eliminate checkout time for customers and allow them direct access to pick up orders and get in and out of the store faster. The retailer said the digital experience of the self-service lockers relies on electronic technology inside the lockers that generates a scannable barcode when an order is ready for pickup.
“Our No. 1 priority is making sure we are keeping things safe for our associates and customers while continuing to provide additional options to make it even easier to shop with us,” Joe McFarland, Lowe’s executive vice president of stores, said in a news release. “With more than 60% of online orders picked up in our stores, this gives our customers one more option and the added convenience and flexibility to control how and when they get that order.”
Lowe’s said current research suggests touchless retail services will continue to remain popular with consumers even beyond the pandemic. A study by McKinsey & Company found that 60% of U.S. consumers who said they are using Buy Online, Pickup In Store plan to continue using the service after the pandemic subsides.
