Pickup Locations

Overview

LocallyGrown supports multiple pickup locations per market, allowing you to serve customers across different neighborhoods or towns. Each location can have its own schedule, contact person, and special instructions.

Setting Up Pickup Locations

Adding a New Location

1. Navigate to your market's Locations page
2. Click "Add New Location"
3. Fill in the required information:
   • Location Name - Choose a clear, recognizable name
   • Address - The full street address, including city and state. This is what's looked up to place the location on the interactive map, so keep it to a real mailing address (landmark details go in the Description, below).
   • Contact Person - Name and phone number for the location manager
   • Pickup Days - Select which days customers can pick up orders
   • Pickup Hours - Set the time window for pickups
4. Add optional details:
   • Description - Brief description of the location, and the right place for landmark details — for example, "Riverwalk Marketplace parking lot". Keeping these out of the Address field helps the map find the right spot.
   • Special Instructions - Parking, entrance, or other location-specific guidance
   • Photo - Image to help customers identify the location
   • Color - An optional color tag for this location. On the Transfers page, each destination's manifest blocks are tinted with its color, so volunteers can sort items into piles that match your physical pickup-area signage. Leave it off if you don't use color-coded signage.
5. Save and activate the location

Location Requirements

Consider these factors when choosing pickup locations:

• Accessibility - Easy to find with adequate parking
• Security - Safe location for storing orders temporarily
• Staffing - Someone available during pickup hours
• Storage - Refrigeration for perishable items if needed
• Customer convenience - Located where customers naturally travel

Types of Pickup Locations

Managing Pickup Operations

Order Organization

• Sort by customer name - Alphabetical order speeds up pickup
• Use order numbers - Each order has a unique number for tracking
• Separate cold items - Keep refrigerated items in coolers
• Group by grower - Consider organizing by farm for easier packing

Pickup Process

1. Customer arrives - They provide their name or order number
2. Locate order - Find their bagged/boxed order
3. Verify items - Quickly confirm order contents
4. Mark as picked up - Update order status in the system
5. Handle special requests - Address any customer questions or issues

Customer Experience Best Practices

Clear Communication

• Pickup instructions - Include detailed directions in order confirmations
• Visual aids - Photos of the entrance or pickup area
• Contact information - Provide phone number for pickup day questions
• Signage - Clear signs marking the pickup area

Order Preparation

• Bag orders properly - Use sturdy bags or boxes
• Label clearly - Customer name and order number on each bag
• Separate items - Keep different growers' items organized
• Include receipts - Printed or digital order summary

Pickup Location Fees

Some locations cost your market money — a delivery route to a distant town, rent for a staffed storefront, a ferry ride to an island. You can set an optional fee on any pickup location to recover those costs, and the system collects it automatically. No more creating "Delivery to zip code 12345" products and checking every order by hand.

Setting a Fee

1. Open the location for editing on your Locations page
2. Enter a dollar amount in the Pickup Fee field (leave it blank for no charge)
3. Optionally set a Fee Label — this is exactly what customers see on their orders and receipts, so something like "Delivery to Madison County" works well. If you leave it blank, it appears as "Pickup location fee"

How Customers Are Charged

• Once per customer per order cycle, per location. If a customer places three orders for the same location this cycle, they pay the fee once — on their first order. Orders for two different fee-bearing locations are each charged that location's fee.
• Customers see the fee before they commit. The checkout page shows the fee next to each location in the picker and as a line item in the order total.
• The amount and label are locked in when the order is placed. If you change a location's fee mid-cycle, orders that were already placed keep the fee they agreed to — and existing open orders are never charged retroactively.
• The system keeps things fair automatically. If the order carrying the fee is deleted, the charge moves to the customer's earliest remaining open order at that location. If an order is moved to a different location, the fee is recalculated on both ends.

Exempting Your Team

On your admin panel, under Pickup & Drop-off Locations, the Pickup Locations card has three independent checkboxes to exempt managers, volunteers, and growers from pickup location fees. Each group is its own toggle, so you can comp your volunteers without comping anyone else.

Where Fees Show Up

• The location picker and order summary at checkout
• Order confirmation emails, order receipts, and PDF invoices
• The Open Orders by Location page, where each charged order shows a fee badge — handy when you're settling up a delivery route

Managing Multiple Locations

Centralized Coordination

• Location managers - Designate responsible person for each site
• Communication protocols - Regular check-ins and updates
• Consistent standards - Same pickup procedures across all locations
• Performance monitoring - Track success metrics for each location

Distribution Logistics

• Order routing - Efficiently distribute orders to locations
• Transportation - Plan delivery routes for multiple sites
• Timing coordination - Ensure orders arrive before pickup windows
• Backup plans - Have contingencies for delivery delays