People don’t have to go to stores anymore, they have to want to go to stores.

Although we’ve been talking about that statement for quite some time now, this year has really taken it to another level. Many retailers were closed, literally closed for months, exacerbating an already looming (and dooming) fact: We are over-stored.

Turns out though, consumers do want to go to stores, but in a much different manner than before. According to over 2,100 consumers surveyed in WD Partners’ new study:

• Buy online, pickup in/at store (BOPIS) approval is at an all-time high
• Delivery has an approval rating near 100%
• Dark stores (no shopping, pickup and delivery only) have been deemed acceptable in big numbers
• Couple all that with the finding that consumers consider excellent in-store experience extremely important