Giant Eagle Partners With FlyBuy to Expedite Curbside Pickup

Giant Eagle has partnered with FlyBuy Pickup by Radius Networks to launch a new and improved contactless curbside pickup experience for all stores where Giant Eagle Curbside Pickup is available.

With an increasing number of customers opting for curbside pickup and home delivery during COVID-19, the Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Giant Eagle sought to streamline its curbside pickup service by transitioning three physical locations to curbside pickup centers dedicated to servicing online orders.

FlyBuy’s proprietary location technology works by directly integrating the FlyBuy mobile SDK into the grocer’s mobile application, providing a branded experience for shoppers. Then, using location services specifically related to the order experience, the FlyBuy Pickup technology accurately predicts the guest’s estimated time of arrival, and sends alerts to the store along the way, so store team members can properly prioritize order fulfillment and have an order ready as soon as a guest arrives.

“Since the very beginning of this crisis, our partners have seen increased curbside pickup order volume with some of over 500%,” said Jeff Baskin, Radius Networks’ EVP of global partnerships, in a statement. “We are excited to work with such an innovative grocer, like Giant Eagle, who understands the need for short-term solutions to help get through this time but also has a long-term strategy as the trend for shoppers to move online will continue.”

Giant Eagle’s e-commerce orders have exploded over the past six months, with Giant Eagle Curbside Pickup orders increasing exponentially, says the company.

“The FlyBuy platform helps us better manage the influx of Giant Eagle Curbside Pickup orders being placed,” said Valery Ciarimboli, Giant Eagle’s VP of e-commerce operations, in a statement. “Knowing our guests’ ETA and receiving live location updates and arrival alerts has transformed our curbside program for both our team members working hard in the store fulfilling orders, and for our guests who want a speedy pickup experience. Having a system in place that enables us to ensure an order is ready and waiting when a customer pulls up is essential to our goal of meeting the increased demand with efficiency.”

New research from Mercatus and Incisiv indicates that shoppers prefer curbside pickup to home delivery. In their survey of more than 60,000 U.S. shoppers, the companies found that more than 50% of shoppers have changed the way the shop due to COVID-19 safety concerns, with 52% preferring curbside pickup over delivery.

When it comes to curbside pickup, much of this change in shopper behavior is here to stay, says Radius Networks, which found that after the pandemic subsides, 75% of consumers that subscribe to multiple delivery services said they would likely continue to opt for curbside pickup.

“In a post-COVID world, customers will continue to demand shorter wait times and a frictionless experience, which will be a necessity as curbside and BOPIS become the new normal for retailers moving forward,” Baskin added.