Today's "on-demand" culture of convenience and instant gratification continues to drive the growing eCommerce trend. In 2017, more than half of Americans cited online shopping as their preferred shopping method. While this doesn't mean the death of brick-and-mortar retail, it does reflect a definite shift in consumer expectations.
Customers are always looking for the best deal. They want to find their items quickly and easily, and increasingly they expect a more personalized experience—even when shopping at their local grocery store. In response to these growing expectations, retail grocers like Kroger are finding ways to innovate and provide a digital grocery experience.
The national grocery chain introduced an online ordering service—ClickList—to its customers in 2014 on a limited basis. But by December of last year, it had expanded the offering to 1,000 locations. When announcing this milestone, Kroger's Chief Digital Officer Yael Cosset explained that the company was "redefining our customers' grocery shopping experiences by bringing online and offline seamlessly together through digital innovation." Kroger attributes its recent significant growth to this initiative. It also announced it would increase the customer delivery coverage area for ClickList by expanding its partnership with Instacart.
While providing an online grocery shopping option certainly addresses consumers' changing needs and expectations, it isn't the only way to give shoppers what they want. Instead, the sentiment behind Kroger's digital transformation is important to acknowledge. Grocers—online or in-store—must provide shoppers with a digital experience through retail technology solutions.
One effective way to do this is by providing digital loyalty programs. These programs allow customers to find special offers on the items they want simply by checking their smartphones while walking through the store. They can also provide insights into shoppers' preferences and buying habits. As a retailer, you can then use the resulting data to tailor the experience of your individual customers and—if integrated into your back-office system—inform your decisions on which products to keep stocked.
Are you looking for ways to innovate? TRUNO's eCommerce integration solutions can help enhance your customer's experience while providing you with data to drive sound business decisions.
