Among U.S. grocery shoppers, there is a growing preference for a hybrid approach, with digital experiences playing an increasingly important role. Nearly three in four grocery customers now shop online at least some of the time. Omnichannel shoppers spend 1.5 times more per month than single-channel shoppers and are three times more loyal than digital-only customers.
Grocery Doppio presented the results of “The State of the Industry: The Omnichannel Grocery Shopper” report, which analyzes omnichannel buyers’ shopping and spending habits. It also offers valuable insights for grocers to understand the levers that drive profitability and create a digital toolkit that supports the end-to-end shopper journey.
“Grocers must improve their understanding of shopping missions,” said Gaurav Pant, Chief Insights Officer of both Incisiv and Grocery Doppio. “Customers are using digital channels for convenience, but still value physical stores for sensory experiences and immediate purchase needs.”
The Omnichannel Grocery Shopper report reflects interviews with more than 5,100 grocery shoppers and over 200 grocery executives, as well as data from other Grocery Doppio studies.
Key findings from the “State of the Industry: The Omnichannel Grocery Shopper” report
Digital influence continues to grow, even for in-store buyers:
- In these five categories of grocery, most sales occur through digital channels: beverages (53%); pantry (73%); personal care (73%); household (76%), and pets (83%).
- Customers use digital tools even before entering a store, to make shopping lists (77%), confirm item availability (76%), and research an item’s location within the store (69%).
Omnichannel shoppers spend more and churn less than single-channel patrons:
- Patrons who buy via multiple channels spend an average of $1,043/month—1.5x more than those who buy online only ($659) or in-store only ($669).
- Omnichannel buyers are more loyal than digital-only buyers: On average, omnichannel buyers churn after 4.2 bad experiences vs. only 1.3 bad experiences for digital-only patrons.
Loyalty is up for grabs, but grocers must reduce friction:
- Customers reported the experience that has the highest impact on their loyalty is how grocers handle inventory status and out-of-stock items (84%), followed by checkout (79%) and the pickup experience (77%).
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“Our research finds parents are twice as likely as other consumers to shop online for groceries because of convenience,” said Steve Markenson, vice president of research & insights for FMI. “It’s important for food retailers and suppliers to keep convenience and relevance in mind when creating online and in-store shopping experiences. These elements are a big part of shoppers’ new value matrix.”
Charlie Kaplan, Chief Revenue Officer at Wynshop, added: “Omnichannel buyers are grocers’ number one target segment for a good reason. Integrating physical and digital channels is the key to loyalty and profitability in the digital age.”
Grocery Doppio is a free, independent source of grocery insights and data designed to help grocers jumpstart, accelerate, and sustain digital growth.