There is a significant shift in the grocery experience. A younger customer tends to be less engaged with conventional market stores, yet they demand higher standards and conveniences. Traditionalists use weekly circulars while 41% of the Millennials want coupons downloaded to their phone upon entering a store. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers prefer cashier check out, while Mils go for self-checkout counters. Matures like in-store shopping while Mils are driving online shopping efforts.
Product labels, nutritional facts and ingredients are a priority for in-store shoppers, while expiration dates are top priority for the online consumer. As retailers jockey for better positioning and larger cart tickets focus must center around inventory, discounts, online and in-store options. It’s a daunting task with razor thin margins but a requirement for increasing sales and expanding online shopping experiences. Americans do more in-store shopping than any other country globally. Online shopping advances and investments in technology are fast becoming the greatest area of growth for the US food business.