Most people live within close proximity to multiple grocery stores, giving them a variety of shopping options from which to choose. That presents a challenge to grocers hoping to build loyalty. But with the right technologies and marketing practices, loyalty can be driven and achieved.
According to Supermarket News, 83 percent of consumers visit between four to nine different chain stores each year to buy groceries. “And with just 1 percent of consumers indicating that they were loyal to a single retail grocery location, it’s no surprise that there’s not a lot of grocery loyalty. A consumer’s choice of store is heavily driven by convenience and proximity, followed by price and product selection.”
Grocers have a big opportunity to leverage loyalty and personalization to stand out in a highly competitive category. Here are some ways to foster loyalty among grocery shoppers:
Create an amazing in-store experience
Plain and simple, loyal customers should want to return to a store, and it’s essential to make them feel valued as individuals. One way to do this is to make sure shelves are always clean, neat and organized. With Retail Space Solutions pusher tray systems installed, products are kept visible and front-facing, which helps make the shopping experience quicker, easier and more pleasant.
A good in-store experience also involves providing a mix of deals, convenience and a dash of entertainment. Shoppers know that they have the choice to visit another store at any given time, so grocers must provide captivating reasons for them to come back again and again.
Set up and manage a rewards program
Promotions and discounts go a long way toward developing and maintaining customers allegiance. To cater to individual shoppers, grocers reference purchasing histories and behaviors of their customers to ensure that their offers are based on what they are most likely to buy and when.
With the right loyalty program in place, a worthwhile experience can be seamless, allowing grocers to deliver benefits and rewards that will drive shoppers back to their stores frequently and also help make their stores stand out in a progressively competitive market.
Develop a mobile app
With today’s shoppers using their mobile devices as a means of accessibility and convenience, many grocery chains have made the move to leverage the power of mobile technology by developing proprietary apps for their stores. In addition to the many benefits an app delivers, providing customers with quick and easy access to the information they need to make buying decisions helps increase the chances of purchase. With a grocery store mobile app, stores can collect shopper data and form analyses to make predictions and adapt their offerings.
Mobile apps can also enhance in-store shopping experiences. For example, with the use of augmented reality (AR), apps can provide instant, detailed product information and help customers find the locations of specific items. Apps that use location-based technology can provide push notifications and alerts for special offerings, providing added value to customers.
Like every area of retail, the grocery industry is destined for major changes and that makes developing customer loyalty more important than ever. A grocer’s ability to get to know customers and use data to design and optimize loyalty programs or reformations to operations will play a major role in their potential success.
Retail Space Solutions is continually monitoring the grocery market to best stay ahead of shopping trends to develop the display innovations and systems that help keep customers happy and products moving off the shelf. Contact us today to learn how our reliable systems can work to build customer loyalty.