Click & Mortar: The New Grocery Store
Although the impact of e-commerce has hurt some retailers, grocery stores have, so far, been able to avoid losses. That said, they still need to keep adapting to shoppers, upgrading their marketing strategies and catering to the growing demand for more convenience.
Because of the way consumers now shop and eat, grocery stores must take digital changes and online culture into consideration. As modern ways of shopping and eating progress, so does the need for retailers to let go of traditional marketing and incorporate new ways to attract customers.
Let’s look at three distinct ways retailers can get on top of the game in today’s competition.
1. Inspire High-Quality Eating
More consumers are becoming health conscious and are willing to make necessary changes. With the possibility of “sharing” their healthy lifestyles via social media, folks become more aware of what — and how — they want to eat. You can see this clearly by how many healthy food options pop up when looking at Pinterest or other social sharing sites.
Grocery stores can build brand loyalty by inspiring shoppers to bring the high-quality lifestyle they envision right into their homes. They don’t need to travel to Paris for that healthy, delicious meal. Through what they learn in live, in-store demonstrations and sampling, or read about in recipes delivered straight to their inbox, they can duplicate the meals and have everything on hand and at a click of their mouse.
Because of digital trends, your grocery store can be the inspiration for consumers to have better meal options.
2. Create a One-Stop Shop
Your grocery can become the central destination, so people won’t have to look any further when preparing their ideal meal. Convenience is king, and you want to make it as easy as possible for shoppers. Line your display stands with items that attract at first glance. Make your retail display look amazing, but still easy enough for a shopper to recreate at home.
Inspire and teach your customer with meal ideas by utilizing a recipe building planogram strategy. By simply pulling together ingredients that can be used in conjunction with each other to make a meal, customers will feel as if they took on the challenge of putting together an outstanding meal, but weren’t stressed or tired out in the process.
Other ways you can do this may be as simple as sending your customers recipe ideas via email, or creating themed shopping lists. Make a one-stop-shop area for special holidays, or everything they might need for a fantastic weekend barbecue.
3. Utilize the Trend That Is Online Grocery Shopping
The one thing you must do to ensure growth is expand to online shopping. You can even take it a step further and opt to offer VIP service, or home delivery services for your customers. A good example of this is “Kroger Click-List.” The store allows shoppers to select goods from the comfort of their own homes, then pick it up on the very same day.
Some research has shown that online shopping has seen a steady increase, as much as 20 percent in the last year. In particular, the beverage category is showing the strongest growth. The convenience of having a delivery service drop off multiple beverages for a New Year’s party, for example, is compelling more grocery shoppers to go this route when making purchases.
For grocery stores to succeed, they must take the click-and-mortar approach and create a seamless shopping experience. By combining both online and offline shopping experiences, you will have greater opportunity to reach your market and keep your loyal customers coming back.
