For nearly two decades, retailers have been investing significantly in online shopping but have overlooked their most profitable customers—those shopping in their stores.

Services like same-day delivery and Buy Online Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) make shopping easier for online customers, but in-store customers still struggle to access items they can’t physically put in their carts, like display-only or locked-case products. With theft levels rising and tighter security, getting to these items is becoming harder, leading to lost sales and frustrated customers.

The BISPUN (Buy In-Store, Pick Up Now) approach is reimagining the in-store shopping experience. Invented by SYNQ, it lets customers digitally request high-friction items directly from their smartphones.

Rather than find an associate or push a button that provides zero assurance that someone’s coming, customers scan a QR code for a product or product category and request exactly what they want. They can browse product details, see inventory levels, and continue shopping while staff retrieve their items (we host the barcode on the customer device so they can pay with the rest of their items).

For retailers that adopt this methodology, this means increased sales, happier customers, improved operational efficiency, and lower labour costs, all while maintaining product security.

The hidden cost of locking showcases 

As theft and organize retail crime (ORC) continue to grow, more products are being locked up or placed in display-only setups. These measures may protect merchandise, but they also introduce friction to the shopping experience. Everything from everyday essentials like Crest White Strips to high-value items like Dewalt drills are now locked away, degrading the in-store experience that more than 80% of shoppers still prefer.

For retailers, the challenges go beyond frustrated customers. Managing locked cases and display-only setups add significant labor costs and disrupts store efficiency (as shown in Figure 1).

Traditional customer support methods like analog call buttons pull employees away from other tasks and often leave customers waiting, with no indication of when or if help will arrive. Studies show these delays can cause sales losses of 15-25percent. With fewer staff, tighter margins, and rising theft, locking up products can turn once-profitable items into losses.

Reimagining the shopping journey with BISPUN 

Instead of relying on analog band aids or requiring customers to track down staff, retailers can simplify in-store shopping with the BISPUN methodology. Powered by SYNQ’s Order Up technology, it allows customers to shop high-friction items at a SKU-level via QR code or in-store tablet.  

The platform offers a smooth online-like experience, showing real-time inventory and product details. Once customers select and place their orders, associates are digitally alerted to pick them. Customers receive real-time updates on the status of their request, so they can continue shopping while their order is prepared. At checkout they simply scan the barcode hosted on their device, pay, and collect their items.

Unlike traditional analog solutions, which lack visibility and often lead to duplicated efforts or no response, SYNQ’s Order Up product lets associates claim orders from their devices, notifying the team when requests are fulfilled.  

Instead of meeting customers at a locked case to retrieve items, associates can pick items directly from the warehouse, reducing labor by up to two-thirds per transaction, and eliminating the need to restock showcases. BISPUN sees locking showcases transformed into presentation showcases. Additionally, Order Up ensures items are only released after successful payment, preventing risks associated with hand-offs before checkout.

This digital process provides valuable data, offering insights into key metrics like how long requests take to be fulfilled, how long it takes to pick items, and basket size. These insights help improve operational efficiency, optimize staff training, and enhance the overall customer experience.

Driving retail success with BISPUN 

BISPUN helps retailers overcome the challenges of locked cases and display-only items, allowing in-store shoppers to easily purchase high-cube and high-risk products. Retailers benefit from reduced labor costs, improved efficiency, and enhanced merchandise security.  

By embracing this approach, retailers can transform complex processes into seamless solutions, driving greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. Oh, and they can expect a 12-15% sales lift in these friction categories.

Check out our YouTube video to learn how SYNQ Technology solutions can support the BISPUN methodology: