Dark stores improve order fulfillment in several ways, depending on their customers' preferences and the type of goods or merchandise they provide. The three most common methods are: Ship to customer delivery, which became hugely popular at the start of the pandemic, when people were homebound and online shopping surged. Since then, consumers have become accustomed to the ease and convenience of having their orders delivered to their doorstep and now prefer this way of shopping for many items. Most dark stores provide home delivery; it has become virtually synonymous with the dark store concept. Curbside pickup is also utilized by many dark stores, especially dark supermarkets and others that sell perishable goods — this grew significantly during the pandemic. When this method of fulfillment is employed, the dark store usually provides dedicated parking spaces for customers and a store employee brings the order to the car, so that the person receiving the order doesn't have to leave the vehicle. This approach is both convenient for consumers and makes it easy for the store to follow customers' social distancing practices, if any. Regardless, it's likely to stay. In-store pickup is another order fulfillment approach used by many dark stores. In this case, the outlet typically has a dedicated pickup area inside the building, often near the front entrance. Sometimes changing rooms or other areas where customers can inspect their purchases are also provided. This approach allows the store to reduce its shipping expenses and can be convenient for shoppers, who don't have to navigate a large store to pick up their items but can still try them on or look them over before taking delivery.