CSA Exclusive: Perry Ellis provides secure pickup at other retailers
Perry Ellis International customers can now pick up online orders from a wide range of brick-and-mortar sites.
The specialty apparel retailer is leveraging the buy-online-pickup-anywhere (BOPA) solution from ViaDelivery. As a result, customers who make online purchases from Perry Ellis or its Original Penguin by Munsingwear, Rafaella, Cubavera, Callaway, and GolfApparelShop.com brands can pick their items up at more than 21,000 BOPA locations across the country.
“Perry Ellis International partnered with Via.Delivery to help our shoppers balance shipping costs with speed, convenience and security,” Jay Nigrelli, senior VP of e-commerce at Perry Ellis International, said in an exclusive interview with Chain Store Age.
Online Perry Ellis shoppers have the option to select a Via.Delivery alternative delivery location near their home, including retailers such as Walgreens, Kroger, Albertson’s, Dollar General, and FedEx Office. They will be alerted when the package is ready for pick up and can collect it while they shop.
“Consumers are more price conscious than ever right now, and our online shoppers are looking for ways to balance shipping costs with speed, convenience and security,” said Nigrelli. “With Via.Delivery, our shoppers can save on shipping by having their orders delivered to a convenient BOPA location.”
Perry Ellis integrated the BOPA platform into its e-commerce operation using Via.Delivery’s API. Utilizing the Via.Delivery solution, Perry Ellis automates shipping label creation and printing. When the shipping label is created, the technology platform instantly delivers an electronic notification alerting one of the nationwide carriers partnering with Via.Delivery that the retailer has a package ready for pick-up.
The technology also tracks the shipped package, instantly delivers a tracking number with an estimated delivery date to the Perry Ellis customer, and automates delivery notifications that keep the customer informed of the delivery status while the package is en route and after it arrives at the BOPA location.
Upon arrival at a BOPA location, the solution continues to notify the customer that the package is available for pick-up until it is actually handed over to the customer. Each BOPA locations accepts and securely holds packages for up to seven calendar days. Perry Ellis and its brands also integrated Via.Delivery’s order management system with a leading logistics and transportation company’s fulfillment services, and will support fulfillment and shipping services from each brand’s brick-and-mortar stores.
In another benefit, according to Via.Delivery, BOPA deliveries generates approximately 50% lower carbon emissions from the last mile delivery leg compared to a home delivery, because parcels can be delivered to BOPA locations in bulk.
According to Nigrelli, BOPA-based omnichannel fulfillment also provides protection against a growing home delivery security concern.
“Due to the rapid rise in package theft, consumers are demanding options to secure their packages.,” he said. “With Via.Delivery, not only are we giving shoppers flexible delivery options, we’re providing them secure locations to hold their packages.”
[Read more: The top threats to successful home delivery are…]
Nigrelli also discussed some cost-savings benefits it obtains with the BOPA solution.
“From an operations perspective, Perry Ellis will be able to avoid certain peak season surcharges with the use of this service,” stated Nigrelli. “Via.Delivery’s concept of delivering to commercial locations eliminates residential surcharges that are further increased during the peak holiday shipping season, which will enable considerable cost savings for our brands.”