ShopRunner, a company that offers two-day shipping across a network of retailers, is debuting a new service today, PickupPoints, which allows consumers to receive packages from purchases made online at local stores in their area.
The company’s service offers an Amazon Prime-like unlimited, free two-day shipping service from a number of online retailers with no minimum order size. The company’s network includes Lord & Taylor, Toys R Us, Sports Authority, GNC, drugstore.com, inc., Borders, PetSmart and Newegg.com.
PickupPoints is a nationwide network of retail store locations where consumers can chose to pick up packages that have been ordered online.
With PickupPoints, ShopRunner aims to help those Americans who don’t necessarily want to or cannot receive deliveries at their home. The program, which is initially launching in Philadelphia, allows users to pick up purchases from approximately 100 locations at Toys“R”Us, 7-Eleven stores and Olly Shoes.
“These results demonstrate the huge opportunity for retailers by solving consumers online package delivery challenges,” said Scott Thompson, CEO of ShopRunner (who joined the startup earlier this year after resigning rom Yahoo). “The advantage of the ShopRunner network is the potential of over 30,000 retail store locations nationwide in our retailer network providing convenience for our members and offering retailers the potential for further in-store sales. With PickupPoints, ShopRunner ignites multi-retailer cooperation enabling customers to purchase at one retailer’s website and pick up packages at another retailer’s store.”
The advantage to using ShopRunner for the consumer is that they can have their purchase online delivered to their local Toys R Us or 7-Eleven, even though the purchase wasn’t necessarily from that store. In turn, the store gets extra foot traffic. This is in direct competition to Amazon’s Lockers service, which is available in certain 7-Eleven stores and recently, Staples stores.
PickupPoints was developed in conjunction with ShopRunner’s acquisition of PickUp Zone.