Online Marketing: Grocery Retailing Business
How Online Marketing could Provide Competitive Advantages in the Grocery Retailing Industry
“With household internet access continuing to increase, the customer base for online grocery shopping is widening, while other technological innovations such as the advent of smart phones is further benefiting the market” (Source: “Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing” report available at www.MarketResearch.com).
The grocery retailing industry has many opportunities inherent in it for online marketing, and the competitive advantages that it would provide. While local brick-and-mortar storefronts will always be necessary - due to the perishable nature of many items, the bulk and expense of shipping groceries and the occasional need to purchase something immediately – there are ways in which the internet can be leveraged to add to consumer convenience and increased profits.
Providing online shopping is a possibility for grocery retailers. It’s very different than dry-goods retailers such as books, music, shoes and apparel – or services being marketing such as travel. “To date, sales of food and drinks over the internet have yet to make the same impact observed in other parts of the consumer goods industry, most notably books, clothing and electronic items such as computer equipment” (Source: “Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing” report available at www.MarketResearch.com). One way to leverage the internet – and I have seen this at my local ShopRite – is to purchase groceries online and pick them up at the local store. The shopper clicks on the items they want in an online virtual market, which are then gathered by a “personal shopper” in the store. The shopper then drives over to the market, pays at the customer service counter near the front of the store, from which an associate will even wheel the cart out and load the bags into their vehicle.
The potential is also there for personalization. By tracking online purchases, a
“With household internet access continuing to increase, the customer base for online grocery shopping is widening, while other technological innovations such as the advent of smart phones is further benefiting the market” (Source: “Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing” report available at www.MarketResearch.com).
The grocery retailing industry has many opportunities inherent in it for online marketing, and the competitive advantages that it would provide. While local brick-and-mortar storefronts will always be necessary - due to the perishable nature of many items, the bulk and expense of shipping groceries and the occasional need to purchase something immediately – there are ways in which the internet can be leveraged to add to consumer convenience and increased profits.
Providing online shopping is a possibility for grocery retailers. It’s very different than dry-goods retailers such as books, music, shoes and apparel – or services being marketing such as travel. “To date, sales of food and drinks over the internet have yet to make the same impact observed in other parts of the consumer goods industry, most notably books, clothing and electronic items such as computer equipment” (Source: “Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing” report available at www.MarketResearch.com). One way to leverage the internet – and I have seen this at my local ShopRite – is to purchase groceries online and pick them up at the local store. The shopper clicks on the items they want in an online virtual market, which are then gathered by a “personal shopper” in the store. The shopper then drives over to the market, pays at the customer service counter near the front of the store, from which an associate will even wheel the cart out and load the bags into their vehicle.
The potential is also there for personalization. By tracking online purchases, a