When shoppers in Ontario want something today, they have two main options: drive to a store and hope it's in stock, or order from a large online retailer and wait. Independent businesses can offer a third option that often beats both: order online from a local shop and pick it up within hours, or have it delivered locally the same day.
Local fulfilment, which includes buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, and local delivery, is one of the most practical growth tools for small and medium businesses. It turns your website into a traffic driver for your physical store, cuts shipping costs, and gives customers a reason to choose you over national chains. This article explains how to set it up in Shopify and run it well.
Why local fulfilment matters in Ontario
Shipping is expensive and unpredictable
Shipping costs have risen steadily, and Canada Post's labour disruptions in 2024 and 2025 showed how vulnerable businesses can be when they depend on a single carrier. Local pickup costs you nothing in postage and isn't affected by carrier delays.
Customers value speed and certainty
Many shoppers want to know an item is available before they drive across town, especially in winter when Ontario roads can make an unnecessary trip frustrating. Showing stock availability online and reserving items for pickup removes that uncertainty.
Pickup visits create extra sales
When customers come in to collect an order, they often browse and buy more. Even a small add-on purchase rate can meaningfully increase revenue over a year.
It supports the "shop local" movement
Many Ontario communities have strong buy-local sentiment, reinforced by trade tensions with the United States. Local pickup and delivery make it easier for customers to act on that preference.
Local fulfilment options in Shopify
Shopify includes native tools for:
- Local pickup: Customers choose a store location at checkout and collect their order when notified it's ready.
- Local delivery: Customers within a defined area can choose delivery by your own staff or a delivery partner.
- Ship from store: Stores can fulfil standard shipping orders when they have the stock.
Shopify has also added integrations with on-demand delivery services. For example, Uber Direct has been available through Shopify POS for Plus merchants in Canada, offering tracked local delivery. Availability varies by plan and region, so check current options.
Setting up local pickup
Step 1: Enable pickup for each location
In Settings → Shipping and delivery, find the local pickup section and enable it for the locations where you want to offer pickup. For each location, set:
- Pickup instructions (for example, "Come to the front counter and show your order confirmation")
- Expected pickup time (for example, "Usually ready in 2 hours")
Be realistic. Promising "ready in one hour" and missing it frustrates customers more than promising "ready by tomorrow" and delivering early.
Step 2: Make sure inventory is accurate
Pickup only works if the product is actually at the store. Confirm each store's inventory is accurate and that products are stocked at the locations offering pickup. See our multi-location inventory article for guidance.
Step 3: Customize notifications
Shopify sends customers notifications when an order is ready for pickup. Customize these emails and SMS messages with:
- Your store address and a map link
- Hours of operation
- Parking information (important in busy downtown areas like Toronto, Ottawa, or London)
- What to bring (order number, photo ID for high-value items)
- Curbside instructions, if offered
Step 4: Train staff on the pickup workflow
In Shopify POS, staff can view pickup orders, mark them as ready, and mark them as picked up. A typical workflow:
- A new pickup order appears on the POS.
- A staff member picks the items and confirms they're in good condition.
- The order is bagged, labelled with the customer's name and order number, and stored in a designated pickup area.
- Staff mark the order as ready, triggering the customer notification.
- When the customer arrives, staff verify identity and mark the order as picked up.
Shopify's 2026 updates added improvements to multi-location pickup in POS, making it easier for staff to manage pickup orders across stores.
Step 5: Design your pickup area
A clear, organized pickup area signals professionalism. Consider:
- A dedicated shelf or cubby behind the counter
- Alphabetical or numbered organization
- Clear signage for "Online Order Pickup"
- A spot near the entrance so customers who are in a hurry don't have to walk through the entire store (though many owners strategically place it near high-margin impulse items)
Offering curbside pickup
Curbside pickup became common during the pandemic and many customers still value it, particularly parents with young children, people with mobility challenges, and anyone shopping during an Ontario snowstorm.
To offer curbside:
- Add curbside instructions to your pickup notification.
- Provide a phone number or text line for customers to announce their arrival.
- Designate parking spots if possible.
- Keep a winter-ready kit (boots, jacket, bags that won't tear in wet weather) near the door for staff.
Setting up local delivery
Local delivery lets you deliver orders yourself or through a partner within a defined area.
Step 1: Define your delivery area
In Shopify, you can define delivery areas by postal code or by radius from your store. Postal codes offer more control. In Ontario cities, the first three characters of a postal code (the Forward Sortation Area, or FSA) are a convenient way to define neighbourhoods.
For example, a Hamilton shop might deliver to L8P, L8M, L8L, and nearby FSAs, excluding areas that are too far to serve efficiently.
Step 2: Set pricing and minimums
Options include:
- Free delivery over a certain order value
- A flat delivery fee
- Different fees for different zones
Calculate the true cost of each delivery (staff time, fuel, vehicle costs) before deciding. A small delivery fee combined with a free-delivery threshold often works well because it encourages larger orders.
Step 3: Plan routes and schedules
Shopify offers a local delivery app that helps plan routes and gives drivers a list of stops. Schedule delivery windows, such as "afternoon deliveries between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.," so you can batch orders efficiently.
Step 4: Decide who delivers
- Your own staff: Best control over customer experience, but consider insurance, vehicle use, and wages. Confirm with your insurance provider that business use of a vehicle is covered.
- A courier or on-demand partner: Easier to scale but with less control and per-delivery costs.
Step 5: Communicate clearly
Send delivery confirmations with the expected window and a contact number. Ask customers for delivery instructions, especially for apartments and condos where building access can be a challenge.
Ship from store
Ship from store means your retail locations fulfil online orders that are shipped to customers elsewhere. Benefits include:
- Faster delivery for customers near your stores
- Reduced dead stock by selling store inventory online
- Less reliance on a single warehouse
The trade-off is that store staff need time and space to pick, pack, and ship. Plan for quiet periods during the day to handle online orders.
Endless aisle: fulfilling in-store demand from elsewhere
Local fulfilment works in both directions. If a customer is in your store but the item they want is out of stock, staff can use Shopify POS to create an order fulfilled from another location, either shipped to the customer's home or transferred to the store for pickup. This turns a potential lost sale into a completed one.
Measuring success
Track these metrics to understand how local fulfilment is working:
- Share of online orders using pickup or local delivery
- Average time from order to ready-for-pickup
- Pickup rate (orders actually collected versus abandoned)
- Add-on sales during pickup visits (track by tagging or by comparing customer purchases on the same day)
- Delivery cost per order versus delivery fees collected
- Customer satisfaction, through reviews or post-pickup surveys
Shopify's analytics can filter orders by delivery method, and you can use tags or Shopify Flow to record additional information.
Handling uncollected orders
Some customers forget to pick up. Set a clear policy, such as holding orders for 7 or 14 days, and send reminder notifications. If orders aren't collected, contact the customer before cancelling and refunding. Shopify Flow can help automate reminders.
Practical tips from the field
- Promote pickup on your website. Add "Free pickup in [City]" messaging to your homepage and product pages.
- Show stock by location. Many themes can display store availability on product pages, which helps customers decide.
- Offer a pickup-only promotion. For example, a small discount or free gift for choosing pickup, which also reduces shipping costs.
- Use pickup for large or fragile items. Furniture, plants, artwork, and glassware are expensive to ship and ideal for pickup.
- Extend hours for pickup. Some businesses allow pickup outside normal hours via a secure locker or scheduled appointments.
- Plan for the holidays. December pickup volumes can spike dramatically. Add staff, extend the pickup area, and set clear cut-off dates.
An example from the field
A fictional independent bookstore in Ottawa's Glebe neighbourhood noticed that many customers ordered from a large online retailer because they assumed the store wouldn't have specialty titles. After enabling local pickup with real-time stock display, the store promoted "Order by noon, pick up after 3" on social media.
Within a few months, pickup orders accounted for a meaningful share of online sales, and staff noticed that pickup customers frequently bought a second book or a greeting card. The store also started offering local delivery by bike within a few nearby postal codes on Saturdays, which became a popular talking point in the neighbourhood. The shift didn't require new staff; it simply reorganized existing quiet hours.
Key takeaways
- Local pickup and delivery reduce shipping costs, increase foot traffic, and help independent Ontario businesses compete with larger retailers.
- Shopify supports local pickup, local delivery, and ship from store natively, with POS workflows for staff.
- Accurate inventory, clear notifications, and a well-organized pickup area are essential.
- Define delivery areas using Ontario postal code FSAs and price delivery based on real costs.
- Measure pickup rates, turnaround times, and add-on sales to refine your approach.
Feature availability, partner integrations, and plan requirements change over time. Confirm current local fulfilment options for your plan and region in Shopify's help centre.