Omnichannel
Ship to store: The next strategic fulfillment move for retailers
For retailers feeling the squeeze of inflation, rising customer expectations and thinning margins, ship to store isn’t an experiment. It’s a strategic move that pays off across the P&L.
November 18, 2025 by Quentin Montalto — Chief Operating Officer, ShipperHQ
Storefronts are more than just showrooms. They are strategic fulfillment centers. Enter ship to store, a model that tackles some of retail's biggest challenges head on.
1. Fight fraud
Porch piracy is a billion-dollar problem. At least 58 million Americans were victims of porch piracy last year. That's billions in lost goods, refunds, and customer trust.
The good news: Ship to store eliminates porch drops entirely. When customers pick up in person and show ID, fraud shrinks, claims drop and trust goes up. In other words, it's margin protection, customer reassurance, and brand insurance rolled into one.
2. Slash last-mile costs
Home delivery of bulky, high value or regulated goods, racks up residential surcharges, lift-gate fees, and compliance headaches. Ship to store avoids all of that. You're routing orders through lower-cost, compliant pickup points and trimming out the last-mile premium.
Think of stores as mini demand centers that add an extra layer of flexibility to your delivery options (and one that's a lot more affordable). Consider this: 90% of U.S. shoppers will abandon a cart if delivery costs are too high. That's not just lost revenue — it's lost loyalty. By cutting surcharges and surfacing real-time rates, ship to store helps you keep more sales.
3. Win on customer experience and loyalty
Speed matters. According to Statista, two-thirds of global shoppers expect delivery within 24 hours, and in the U.S., 86% define "fast" as two days or less.
Ship to store brings delivery closer, faster by pulling fulfillment closer to the customer. At the same time, it drives foot traffic to your stores — giving retailers a rare two-for-one: a better customer experience online and new sales offline. Case in point: The National Retail Federation reported 70% of shoppers using in-store pickup end up making additional purchases once they're in the store. That's a measurable revenue lift built into your fulfillment model.
The strategic payoff
- Secure your revenue. No more worry over porch theft or fraud.
- Trim operational costs and complexity. Ditch last-mile premiums and simplify compliance.
- Improve CX and loyalty. Fast, transparent, and flexible fulfillment keeps customers coming back.
So who stands to benefit most from ship to store? Not every retailer needs ship to store right away, but these four categories should treat it as urgent:
- Multi-store retailers. Route online orders to your own locations while charging live or table rates. This means you reduce last-mile delivery costs and bring more customers into your stores.
- Regulated goods merchants. Selling products that require ID or age checks? Shipping to verified pickup points helps you stay compliant without adding complexity to the checkout process.
- Luxury and high-value retailers. If you're shipping high-ticket items, you might want to avoid home delivery altogether. In-store pickup gives you peace of mind knowing every order ends up in the right hands.
- Merchants shipping large items. LTL deliveries to residential addresses gets pricey. Offering pickup at carrier terminals or stores helps avoid liftgate surcharges and trims shipping costs.
Do away with shipping problems that cost you time, money, and customers. Turn your stores into strategic fulfillment hubs and stop porch drops, cut costs, and give customers exactly what they want: secure, fast, and cost-effective pickup — with zero friction.
For retailers feeling the squeeze of inflation, rising customer expectations and thinning margins, ship to store isn't an experiment. It's a strategic move that pays off across the P&L.
About Quentin Montalto
Quentin Montalto is the Chief Operating Officer at ShipperHQ, the leading shipping experience platform that empowers e-commerce businesses with full control over checkout logistics—from real-time carrier rates and dimensional packing to delivery date selection and multi-origin fulfillment. Quentin joined in 2015 as a support engineer and has shaped Sales, Client Success, Support, and Partnerships into high-performing teams.
