Operations
The Curbside Pickup Playbook: Where Operations Meet App Design
Pickup is an operations product
Curbside looks like an app feature, but it's really a staffing system with a UI on top. Before any pixels, we map the physical flow: where orders stage, who carries them out, and how many cars your curb can hold per quarter hour. The schedule UI is only as good as that math.
The arrival moment
The magic moment is arrival. A single “I'm here” tap — with the parking spot number — should light up the staff dashboard instantly, no phone calls, no honking. Every second shaved off that handoff is felt by the customer and multiplied across hundreds of orders a week.
Start simple, then automate
You don't need geofencing on day one. Manual arrival taps plus clear slot capacity gets you 90% of the experience; automation can follow once volume justifies it. Build the loop, measure dwell time at the curb, and let the data tell you when to invest in the fancy parts.
Ready to build this for your stores?
Wve Labs designs and engineers custom retail apps — live inventory, loyalty, scanning and pickup. Engagements start at $25K.
Start the conversation
