Shop Online, Pick Up In Store Now Available to the Military Market
As the popularity of online shopping continues to rise exponentially, we’re seeing more brick and mortar stores suffer the same retail casualties as stores like Sears and Toys ‘R’ Us. Traditional retailers struggle to keep up with the convenience of shopping online, which is why we’ve seen many big box retailers, such as Walmart and Target scrambling to compete by offering online ordering and in-store (sometimes even curbside) pickup.
Retailers that allow customers to order goods online and pick them up at a nearby store are seeing sales soar because online shopping and in-store pickup makes the consumer experience easier, creating an incentive for the consumer to purchase more products.
Now this convenient “click and collect” option is available to the military market. Through the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s buy online, pickup in-store service, online shopping is more convenient than ever for military servicemen and women and their families.
Military shoppers (including veterans) are now able to buy items online at ShopMyExchange.com and pick them up at their local exchange. The program rolled out to 135 locations this summer, including Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edwards Air Force Base and Fort Irwin. Approximately 95 percent of the more than two million items available on the Exchange’s website are now available at pickup.
How it works:
1. Shoppers purchase goods at ShopMyExchange.com and select their local Exchange for pickup.
2. Shoppers receive a notification by email (notifications via text is available in the continental United States) that their order is ready for pickup.
3. Shoppers head to the store to retrieve their order.
The in-store pickup option also expands the availability of bulk items to the global military market, reaching servicemen and women living outside the United States. In the case that a particular item is not available to ship to an APO address, shoppers can order products online and have them shipped to their local Exchange store for pickup.
Exchanges on military bases around the world are continually advancing technology to improve the consumer experience. Brands who get their products into the Military Exchange are able to expand their reach to shoppers around the globe, and have confidence that these shoppers have more incentive to purchase their products with the Exchange’s new in-store pickup option. Read more about the new online shopping option here.
Specialized Marketing International (SMI) represents leading and emerging brands who desire to reach the military market. We can help get your products on the exchange, and are focused on maximizing your sales and market share in the Exchange marketplace. Contact us today to learn more.