Major retailers are starting to abandon services that allow customers to order items online and pick them up curbside at stores.
Target recently announced it will drop curbside pickup, while Walgreens ended the service in several cities earlier this year.
A recent survey found fewer than 20 percent of retailers have systems that combine online and brick-and-mortar inventories.
“They want to execute flawlessly, they don’t want to disappoint the customer, and until they can do that reliably, they’d probably rather not offer the service,” industry analyst Perry Kramer told the Chicago Tribune recently.
Frustrations with in-store pickup became a consumer flash point during last year’s holiday shopping season.
USPS is continuing to explore new ways to help retailers deliver their products, including same-day and ship-from-store services.