How frontline roles are evolving to power faster, smarter curbside experiences.

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The boom in online ordering and curbside pickup has reshaped brick-and-mortar retail. Today most major retailers offer curbside or in-store pickup, and customers expect fast, accurate service. Even grocers saw curbside orders double in recent years compared to pre-pandemic levels. To meet this demand, stores have turned every location into a fulfilment hub: store associates now split their time between sales duties and order fulfilment tasks. Rather than roaming the floor pushing products, associates spend much of their shift picking, packing, staging, and loading pickup orders.

They use mobile devices to scan items, check inventory, and update orders in real time. When customers arrive, associates act as courtesy service, greeting the car, verifying the order and customer identity, and placing bags directly into the vehicle. In short, traditional sales roles are evolving into fulfilment-and-service hybrid roles, combining back-room logistics with on-the-spot customer care.
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Changing Roles of Store Associates

• Order Fulfilment: Associates retrieve online orders from shelves/backstock. They use hand-held scanners or POS tablets to confirm each item and update inventory in real time.
• Curbside Service: Associates load orders into vehicles, verify payment and identification, and sometimes capture proof of delivery.
• Customer Communication: Associates alert customers when orders are ready, facilitate check-in, and may be trained to suggest complementary items or promote loyalty offerings.

Overall, the store associate role now includes picking speed, inventory accuracy, and real-time coordination as key performance areas. Many retailers have introduced new job titles like “Fulfilment Associate” or “Pickup Specialist” to reflect these changes.
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Allocating Curbside Responsibilities

Retailers balance two key objectives: serving regular in-store shoppers and fulfilling pickup orders. Best practices emphasise clear staffing plans and flexible scheduling. Some stores create dedicated pickup teams, while others rely on cross-trained associates, and most optimise schedules around expected curbside traffic peaks.

Models for Role Allocation

• Dedicated Pickup Teams: Assigning specific associates or shifts to curbside duties ensures focus and efficiency. Larger chains often operate separate “Drive Up” zones with exclusive staff to handle curbside handovers.
• Cross-Trained Staff: In smaller or medium-format stores, associates are trained for both in-store service and fulfilment, allowing flexibility depending on customer traffic.
• Smart Scheduling: Using data to forecast demand, stores staff more heavily during expected peaks—such as lunch hours for grocery or evenings for general merchandise—without compromising the in-store experience.
• On-Demand Flexibility: Retailers increasingly rely on float staff or shift-swapping tools to quickly ramp up coverage when needed.

Case Example

Grocery chains like Kroger and H-E-B have combined both models—dedicated staff for peak periods and shared responsibility during lower-volume windows. Simple operational changes like designated parking bays and streamlined pick-and-load processes have shown measurable reductions in customer wait times.
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How Technology Enables the Transition

Modern technology underpins a successful curbside model. The right digital tools help stores automate customer communication, coordinate staff, and improve inventory accuracy.

Key Technology Enablers:

• Mobile Apps & Geofencing: Apps notify staff when a customer is en route, allowing associates to prepare and deliver orders before the car even stops. Geolocation features reduce wait times.
• Order Management Systems (OMS): A centralised OMS ensures accurate routing, fulfilment, and inventory visibility across all channels.
• Inventory Management Tools: Real-time stock tracking (often with RFID) helps avoid stockouts and fulfilment errors.
• Employee Scheduling Platforms: Tools that overlay POS and eCommerce data help managers align labour with in-store and curbside demand.
• Internal Communication Tools: Two-way radios or mobile messaging systems help staff coordinate handovers and deal with live changes quickly.
• Automation Add-ons: In high-volume locations, lockers, QR scanners, or even robotic delivery carts enhance speed and convenience while reducing labour pressure.

When integrated, these tools create an efficient feedback loop—alerting staff, updating inventory, communicating with customers, and managing workloads seamlessly.
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Change Management Considerations

Transforming store roles for curbside fulfilment involves more than workflow tweaks. It requires strategic change management across people, processes, and leadership.

What Retailers Should Focus On

• Training & Upskilling: Associates must be taught how to use new devices, manage fulfilment workflows, and handle customer interactions at the curb. Training should cover everything from scanning systems to empathy in vehicle service.
• Clear Communication: Employees need to understand the purpose behind the shift. Communicating the "why"—that curbside boosts revenue and customer satisfaction—helps gain staff buy-in.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Successful transitions engage all departments early: store managers, IT, supply chain, HR, and marketing. Frontline input should shape the process, and pilot locations can surface best practices.
• Minimising Disruption: Roll out incrementally. Start with low-volume categories or time blocks. Physically separate curbside operations to avoid confusing in-store customers. Assign a leader to oversee the curbside operation.
• Continuous Feedback Loops: Track metrics like fulfilment time, order accuracy, and customer satisfaction. Conduct internal feedback rounds with staff to surface friction points and iterate processes accordingly.

Retailers should frame this transformation as a career growth opportunity for frontline teams. It introduces new skills, digital engagement, and higher customer visibility—making store associates more central than ever to brand experience.
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Final Thoughts

Curbside pickup isn’t just a new service—it’s a new operational layer that affects roles, workflows, and the customer promise. Retailers who lead in this space recognise that investing in people and technology is just as important as paving a few pickup bays.

By clearly allocating roles, deploying the right tech stack, and managing the change thoughtfully, retailers can turn their stores into dynamic fulfilment hubs—and their teams into adaptable, multi-skilled ambassadors of modern retail.