Within minutes I found a book I wanted. And I noticed an in-store inventory check and pickup option.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZx-eMooazuaWGzHn66PuwViyBDndQ2EsghVVFW4nTh0hATHUo8NKyxmmS_qgdaAsaYMQNNSrM1IP_-jqgwOiEGEmZkWEtoF7CXQGOCO08CypLkF93NgCVBx6Nu-9VRew5EjXWJ4k36DY/s320/bandn_product_page.gif)
Punched in my zip code, got presented a few nearby stores with my book available now, and filled out the "Pick Me Up" pop-up form.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ijKUwCAPD0Ygrii2xkqhRaTjBfJloS3ZTeMzAdH0eiitaHMIocQOnhWSiaO1jE4WJ6QE4LgSze8pNSU-b2S3RZ1XI1bh1IyxLTRkgvvJdGSEfMRiob8wGb0Z6D2JtgMPgTT7UIVbR98/s320/bn_pickup.gif)
I noticed the checkbox for a text message when the reservation is complete. So, I figured I'd give it a shot and hit Submit.
I paid my dinner bill and drove 5 minutes to the bookstore. I got a message from Barnes & Noble that my book was set aside while I was in the parking lot. I walked in to a special express pickup area inside the store. I gave the salesperson my last name and she pulled out my book that had my Pick Me Up information attached to it. I was in and out in 2 minutes. Awesome!
This may not seem surprising. And one could argue this is expected in this age of e-commerce. But it's not. This actually worked as expected!
This made me realize that there is hope for brick-and-mortars that master this online-to-offline integrated shopping experience. Or in this case, mobile-to-offline.
This will be the only way to compete against the Amazons of the world.
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