Why online grocery shopping trends are data-driven
Groceries| No Comments
The pandemic has changed many things.One of the things that has changed irreversibly is our shopping habits.Most of them got acquainted and had the opportunity to buy everything conveniently on the Internet.This trend has even spread to grocery stores, and grocers are beginning to explore e-commerce as they plan to grow their sales.Online grocery shopping has now become second nature to most Americans.
Digital grocery shopping as we know it has become commonplace and e-retailers have seen their prices rise as more people flock to it.This has also increased competition in the market, with sellers trying to retain and attract customers.
As grocers compete for customers’ attention, experts believe the ultimate winner will be whoever can offer a service that differentiates them from competitors in terms of price, convenience and availability.
The rise of online grocery shopping
As consumer baskets grow, Online stores are experimenting with different formats and value offers to keep the customer coming back for more.A good example is Instacart’s “Homemade” campaign.Foods featured in the promotion were instantly available for purchase with live QR codes that took the shopper to the recipe on the Instacart app.
The Shoppable Recipes campaign allowed food creators to link TikTok videos to shopping carts.
Online grocery shopping has changed as retailers find creative ways to engage customers and prepare food.
However, As the effects of the pandemic subside, shoppers are returning to supermarkets.and tightening budgets, rampant food inflation, people packing their carts.
This opinion was expressed by Matt Hopkins, a representative of the business intelligence firm Board International.“For online grocers, we see ‘S-curve’ growth online; Post-Covid shopping patterns are returning to storage across many product categories,” said Matt Hopkins, Global Retail Director at the Board.“Now that inflation is driving demand and disposable income is low, retail is ‘never back to normal.’ While we’re talking about a short-term hiatus for online growth, many grocers continue to invest and innovate in their e-commerce offerings as part of their overall growth strategy.”
Hopkins told the Food Institute As online grocery shopping matures, retailers will be forced to roll out different models.
Whether it’s fast delivery or convenience or attractive discounts on bulk items, grocers need to reinvent themselves to stay relevant.
In the US, everyone from Walmart to Kroger offers home delivery and has spent the past year building infrastructure and technology to support grocery chains.
Appropriate StatesmanThe online grocery customer base is around 150 million shoppers, which is close to half of the country’s population, and is expected to grow in the coming years.
With the numbers skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that grocery shopping is being informed by data-driven insights and research into consumer habits.Hopkins recommends investing in business analytics as competition heats up in the digital grocery space.
The future of digital grocery shopping
Brands like Instacart, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods and FreshDirect have made a name for themselves in the online grocery space.
Many offer home delivery, loyalty programs and even keep prices low.
Instacart, one of the most successful online grocery shopping services, is even planning to go public.Instacart’s IPO, albeit delayed, has been on investors’ radar for its impressive growth thanks to a solid business model.There are more than 500,000 Instacart shoppers in the US and Canada.
Tech giant Amazon has also entered the race, setting up several hubs and offering two-hour convenience windows with Alexa.Ask Alexa stations in Amazon Fresh stores and they’ll get whatever help they need right away.
According to a recent report by the Food Institute, companies should invest in intelligent customer-centric planning practices and processes and use this data to define growth strategies.When it comes to online grocery shopping, e-tailers must be equipped to handle the rapid pace of orders the industry is witnessing.
Healthy eating, subscriptions and personal shopping will be the three main trends driving digital grocery shopping.
As paying customers become more sophisticated, brands will have to rely on and analyze data to solve supply chain problems and meet customer needs..
