The title of this post is not brain surgery. In the years 2015/2016, why are people still going to grocery stores?
I have been asking this question for months now. We are about to end 2015, and there still no companies out there really giving consumers a better option to shop online when it comes to groceries. I mean sure there are companies like Pea Pod, Fresh Direct and Insta-Cart who are trying the delivery of groceries in their own sad ways. Those business models will not last at all! These organizations are very selective and restrictive when it comes to what they will deliver and who they will deliver too! This is not what I am talking about when I say better options to shop online for groceries.
What is the big deal? Well I will tell you! In the grocery industry, you have many different players. I bet many of you (Northeast bloggers :D) reading this article have seen ads for current grocery stores like Hannafords or Market Basket trying to talk about the "on-the-go" options of picking up groceries. These grocery stores think they can compete with delivery companies by picking orders and having them ready for customers. Even Amazon is trying to deliver more efficiently with drones, and they are already a very great distribution organization!
Why do grocery shoppers choose to go into the store? I have spoken to many of my close friends and relatives who still enjoy the grocery market. I know many of you out there hate going grocery shopping like most people! Those who who enjoy the store feel that the experience is better inside the store when compared to ordering something online. When I worked for Wegman's Food Market, I saw some real great customer service in action. I feel Wegmans is best when it comes to real customer service. I also worked for a vendor business that sold products to almost every grocery store in the nation. Wegmans is the only true customer service grocery store. The fact is that most stores and grocery chains have no idea how to give real customer service. Wegmans used to do a lot of in-depth training to get all employees on the same page. (Not sure if they still do as their customer service has lagged in recent years.) Grocery shoppers go into the stores to be able to see and touch the item before they buy it.
Why do you need to see and to touch something you get every week or weekend? Its not like buying a car or a pair of shoes every so often. Individuals buy groceries at least twice a week, and they spend hundreds($$) (maybe thousands$$) on groceries every month. Customers go to the same stores because they have had great experiences in the past, and they is where their loyalty lies. This is the same idea when it comes to consumers wanting to go into the store instead of buying online. Those same grocery buyers are comfortable with those great experiences in the stores they always go to. Lets reverse the example.
In today's world, we also have consumers who will only buy items online, never in a store because of their loyalty. The same great experiences they have online create that sense of being most comfortable making purchasing decisions this way. Grocery stores need to create great experiences for their customers. I am sorry, but those experiences in stores are dying off year by year. These stores are the front lines to feeding middle class families every day/night. , and should give better options and service to their customers.
The grocery industry needs to make shopping easier. Walk down the street and tell me where each individual person is looking?? Meaning where is the bulk of everyone's attention going? Phones, iPhones, iPads, and other tablets. You can even look at the act of driving. Tell me people are not looking at phones ALL the time?!? Attention is everything! Why is the grocery industry so far behind when it comes to this phenomenon?
This leads us right back to the question of why do so many people hate grocery shopping?? A lack of customer service maybe?? Taking up to much of their time and attention??
Thoughts, and/or comments??
:) Jaymo
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