Dive Brief:
- The 2017 Grocery eCommerce Forecast, a joint report by Unata and Brick Meets Click, revealed that more consumers are expected to buy groceries online in the year ahead, according to Progressive Grocer.
- The report also noted that a majority of online grocery shoppers (68%) will switch to the competition if their e-commerce experience is better elsewhere.
- Brand loyalty isn't a strong motivator in online grocery. A quarter of shoppers reported they would switch grocers for one-day delivery, and 24% said that they would switch for same-day delivery.
Dive Insight:
Half of shoppers in 2016 who stopped using online grocery after just one use said they couldn't find the products they wanted. Meanwhile, 45% of shoppers said that they were one-and-done because they couldn’t find as many deals online as they could in brick-and-mortar stores.
Same-day shipping and better delivery options are among the top reasons consumers switch from one online grocer to another. As a result, more retailers are investing time and money into improving their stores' delivery experience, as these services are vital to surviving such a competitive marketplace.
One Network is one of many cloud platforms that walks companies through the entire lifecycle of the transaction — from taking and processing the order, to sourcing, track and trace and proof-of-delivery, enabling grocers to offer a powerful home delivery service. Retailers that rely on similar technology are seeing dramatic increases in revenue, customer satisfaction and market share.
Clavis Insight also released a report that showed many shoppers are choosing click and collect over home delivery or in-store options because it saves time and they can avoid busy checkout lines. This is something online grocers need to keep any eye on as well when they consider customer experience.