Here's how curbside pickup went at Bay Area mall, chain stores

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As stores start to reopen for curbside pickup during Phase 2 of reopening California, ABC7 ventured out to see how it works at different businesses around the Bay Area and reporter Kris Reyes documented the experience.

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Let me get the best and worst of it out of the way.

The Best

Every employee I encountered was so obviously doing their best to make this work. They had on safety gear and they were super friendly. The pickups were pretty easy and the orders for the most part, available within the hour.

The Worst

Retail websites are obviously not designed to make online ordering followed by curbside pickup, a seamless experience. It took me at least an hour and a half to place my orders. I had to navigate through different websites, input my information each time, and sometimes I would check out with an order only to find out it was not available at my location of choice.

Our Task for the Day

Four stores, four orders to test out how malls and bigger chain stores are doing curbside pickup.

I picked Banana Republic on Grant Ave. to get a feel for what it's like to curbside pickup in downtown San Francisco. Then I chose Blue Mercury in Burlingame and Party City in Redwood City to get a feel for bigger stores with storefronts.

Then, Barnes and Noble at Hillsdale Mall, one of the few shopping malls in the Bay Area that's starting to reopen.

Watch the video posted above for a look at the curbside pickup experience.

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