How In-Store Pickup Shrinks Delivery Emissions?

As more people shop online, the delivery operation has become a major challenge for small businesses and the environment alike. The “last mile”—the final stage of a product’s journey from a store or warehouse to your home—is where a surprising amount of carbon emissions and traffic congestion happens. While fast home delivery saves time, it can take a toll on our neighborhoods and the environment.

Understanding the Last Mile Delivery Impact

Last-mile delivery is one of the most energy- and resource-intensive parts of the logistics process. It involves significant labour, fleet operations, and coordination among various departments. During peak times, such as Christmas, this operation can become so intense as to create a significant challenge for brands and retailers.

Certainly, over the past years, technology has been able to boost the efficiency and sustainability of last-mile delivery. For instance, AI can be used to optimize routes, mileage, and timings, which led to a a 15–20% shorter delivery time, energy efficiency improvements ranging from 10–25%, and emissions cut by as much as 40%.

But despite these improvements, this part of the delivery process remains extremely impactful, and for many reasons:

• Higher Carbon Emissions: Delivering individual packages directly to homes requires more vehicles on the road, each making many stops over a wide area. This leads to higher emissions per order than delivering bulk shipments to stores.
• Extra Traffic and Idling: Delivery vans and trucks contribute to road congestion and often idle at curbsides, adding to urban air pollution and burning more fuel.
• More Packaging Waste: Home deliveries typically need extra layers of packaging and padding to protect goods, which increases waste in landfills.
• Missed Deliveries and Returns: If the customer isn’t at home, failed delivery attempts mean repeat trips, wasting fuel and creating additional emissions.
• Inefficient Routes: Delivering packages one by one to scattered homes rather than a central location is less efficient and drives up both mileage and emissions.

Today, last mile logistics can account for over half the total carbon output of a single e-commerce order. This adds up quickly as online shopping continues to grow in popularity.

Benefits of In-Store Pickup

In-store pickup, also known as click-and-collect, offers several clear advantages for the environment, retailers, and shoppers alike:

• Bulk Delivery Efficiency: Bringing together multiple orders for batch delivery to stores reduces the carbon footprint per package.
• Less Traffic & Pollution: Fewer delivery vehicles are required to travel across the neighborhoods, lowering emissions and traffic jams.
• Reduced Packaging Waste: Packages going to a store need less protective material, cutting down on single-use plastics and cardboard.
• Eliminates Missed Deliveries: Orders are held safely at the store, removing failed delivery attempts and the need for extra trips.
• Supports Local Shopping: In-store pickup encourages local customers to visit other local stores, which can help the community and reduce shipping distances. Plus, encouraging customers to visit your store can lead to additional purchases!
• Faster Fulfillment for Shoppers: Many stores prepare orders quickly—sometimes in just a few hours—so the customer can get what they need faster than typical home delivery.
• Potential for Combined Errands: Consumers can align pickups with other shopping tasks, which also helps reduce trips and save time.

How to Make In-Store Pickup Work?

Whether you are looking to make your restaurant more sustainable or boosting the visibility of your brick-and-mortar craft shop, in-store pick up options can help. But it’s important to keep in mind that, from a customer’s viewpoint, this involves more effort. Because of this, sometimes, switching to in-store pickup doesn’t just happen automatically—it takes planning and tools to run efficiently and without impacting the customer experience. Plus, you’ll want to portray this option as more convenient than delivery, possibly by encouraging shopping to other stores as well or preparing the orders in much shorter timeframes.

If you are unsure what drives your consumers’ choices, be sure to run polls and surveys to understand how you can make in-store pick up really work for you and your business.

Here are key elements retailers and brands should prioritize:

Accurate Store Inventory and Stock Visibility

Efficient click-and-collect relies on knowing exactly what is in stock at every store. Because of this, whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, the starting point is the same: you’ll need an Order Management System.

This solution provides you with real-time inventory updates, keeps online listings accurate, prevents failed purchases, and helps staff locate items quickly. These systems also offer a clear interface for both you and the client to manage orders online, improve stock accuracy, and sync inventory across locations. An OMS lets you configure BOPIS, route orders to the nearest pickup point, and keep shoppers informed every step of the way.

Put simply, this is an essential tool to keep your operations running smoothly as you prepare to switch to click-and-collect models and scale up your operations.

Clear and Flexible Pickup Windows

Letting customers choose or adjust their pickup time helps prevent crowding and improves staff planning. Be sure to utilize systems that allow you to clearly state when an order will be ready—and keep that promise—to build trust and encourage repeat use.

Store Signage and Dedicated Pickup Spots

Good communication starts at the door. Easy-to-see signs and directions guide customers to the right counter or locker, minimizing time spent in the store and making the process stress-free. Some stores add curbside pickup spots or smart lockers for even quicker handoff.

Well-Trained Staff and Simple Workflow

Staff should know exactly how to process online orders, stage items, confirm ID, and handle returns, all without disrupting regular customers. For this, you may consider developing a streamlined back-room workflow, which helps keep pickup fast, accurate, and safe.

Measuring the Impact with KPIs

Track how many orders are fulfilled by in-store pickup, customer satisfaction, packaging saved, failed delivery rates reduced, and last-mile emissions per order. Use this data to improve operations and show customers—and teams—the real benefits of the program.

Conclusion: A Greener Way to Fulfill Online Shopping

In-store pickup turns a big problem—last mile emissions—into an opportunity for positive change. Delivering in bulk, cutting waste, and using tech to manage orders online, shoppers and retailers can boost efficiency and sustainability together. To encourage the local economy, consider partnering with other businesses in the area so that retailers can visit multiple of their favorite shops!