Best Buy is reportedly going to start offering curbside pickup for items ordered through their store online. The result being that you can now shop at the store, and pick up your purchases almost instantly without even having to actually set foot inside the retail store.

Currently the service is in a limited testing phase in a few cities around the US. The idea is pretty simple however. You shop online for fabulous gadgets and gizmos to fill your home, decide what you want, make your purchase online, and then set up a time with Best Buy to come pick it up.

From Best Buy’s site:

How does Curbside Pickup work?

1. Choose the Pick Up option when adding an item to your cart.
2. Click Select Store and choose a store with Curbside Pickup service.
3. Wait to receive a pickup notification e-mail from us.
4. Call the store to schedule a Curbside Pickup time.
5. Bring your photo ID, credit card and order number to the store’s Curbside Pickup area. A Best Buy associate will bring your order out to you.

If you’re an average person looking to buy a digital camera, then this is probably not the best option for you. Placing an order, calling the store to set up a pick-up time, and then calling the store once you’re there to have them bring it to you seems like a lot more of a hassle than it’s actually worth.

For people who may have trouble physically making it into a Best Buy store however, it may be just what they need. If you have a lot of trouble moving around, the a Best Buy can be a nightmare to navigate. The curbside pick-up could be a great option for grandma who may not want to take a walker or wheelchair into the store, or who may not want to have to locate the items she wants once she gets here.

This also seems like something that could be awesome during peak shopping times when you don’t want to wait in a huge line in the store. Whether curbside would be faster than going inside is definitely up to question, but I would personally rather wait in my car for my purchases to be delivered to me than stand in a huge line inside.

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Entry was posted on Sunday, December 28th, 2008 at 11:25 pm under Ecommerce, Internet, Retail.

Read more entries by Emily Price.
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