Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton started offering curbside shopping, even before the store reopened. It’s a hit.
“Based on the positive feedback we’ve received, our clients appreciate the convenience of curbside shopping, as well as having the option to purchase/return with minimal contact and without entering the building,” said Heather Shaw, vice president/general manager of the retailer in Town Center at Boca Raton mall. “We began offering curbside shopping in early May, and once we reopened our doors, we continued to offer this special service to our clients.”
If you Google their website, you’ll see check marks at in-store shopping and curbside pickup. That added service, and obvious revenue source, won’t go away anytime soon. “We are pleased to offer curbside shopping during store hours. We will continue to offer curbside shopping for as long as the need is there,” Shaw added.
“With curbside pickup, you don’t have to leave your car, but you can still receive everything you need in a safe and timely manner. While the exact process varies from store to store, usually the customer will place an order online or via app, then wait for confirmation that it’s ready for pickup,” according to Business Insider.
Boca’s mall posts discreet curbside shopping signs on perimeter roads. But there’s nothing subtle about the big yellow signs at the back door of Bloomingdale’s. Two SUVs in a row pulled in and opened their tailgates on a recent trip. A sales clerk came out with the famous Bloomies bags and popped them right in. Talbot’s, across the way, offers curbside pickups, too. Macy’s has designated spots to pull in at the top of the ramp on the second story. It just took minutes for a sales clerk to come out once the driver called the number on a recent trip.
Walmart offers pickups, too. Part of the new normal? Not really. When Target remodeled the Deerfield Beach store, red pickup posts were prominent in the parking lot, even before the pandemic hit.
By Marci Shatzman
