While deliveries may ebb, the “buy online and pick up in-store" model of commerce, dubbed BOPIS by retail trackers, may have staying power. The trend had been gaining momentum, and now the pandemic has tipped it into the mainstream, said Aaron Cheris, head of Bain & Company's retail practice. According to Adobe Analytics, from Feb. 24 to March 21, BOPIS orders increased 62 percent, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Cheris said he's seeing pickups make up 40 to 50 percent of e-commerce orders at some stores, and predicts that will continue post-pandemic. “It's super-convenient and feels super-fast," he said.