Traditional brick-and-mortar check out methods can be challenging for many, especially those who need additional care (i.e. pregnant women, older adults, people with disabilities). When the store gets busy, people have to stand in lines for a long time without breaks. Once checked out, they have to carry all the items out to their car - if they can locate it. It only adds to the difficulty if items purchased are large and bulky (like those seen often at home improvement retailers such as the Home Depot), or if the weather isn’t ideal. Curbside pick up, on the other hand, can help eliminate these problems and make shopping overall more accessible for many. The option to order online ahead of time also reduces cognitive load for those with ADHD or those on the autism spectrum, as studies suggest that physically being in a retail store can cause many distractions for this community (Hautala, 2021).
As individual shoppers, we benefit a lot from having curbside pick up as an option - but so do companies that provide the service. Since stores typically have busy and non-busy hours, effectively arranging non-busy hours for pick up order preparations can help companies better manage traffic in store, diversify revenue channels, increase sales volume, and potentially improve brand loyalty from customers.
We will keep these implications in mind both as we brainstorm design solutions and as we communicate with our Home Depot stakeholders. We plan to always remind ourselves of the overarching big picture that drives our design decisions: making curbside pick up an experience that is delightful and accessible for all, and helping our partner, the Home Depot, succeed by providing exceptional designs for their customers.