Internet Retailer: REI’s in-store pickup produces online sales 17 times more than expected

When given the chance to pick up goods at its retail location, rather than waiting and paying for shipping, REI saw its customers come to the stores in droves. It expected about one to two million dollars in sales to go through the store in the first six months, but instead found orders of $26 million skittering off the retail shelves. About a quarter to a third of customers chose the in-store delivery option, indicating REI's tightly located real estate choices relative to its major markets.