Tag: Grocery

Top 5 Tips on How to Utilize Online Grocery to Save Money

Posted on by shopkick

Do you shop for your groceries online? I have been opting to skip shopping in stores over the past few weeks as a way to keep myself, my family, and my fellow shoppers safe. However, I have to admit shopping for groceries online is not an entirely new practice for me. One of the top ways to experience a sudden increase in your grocery bill is by adding additional items to your cart while you’re roaming the aisles, and I’ve found shopping online is a great way to curb that habit. Below, I’m sharing details about how to best utilize online grocery shopping, including explaining why we think it’s best to do curbside pickup rather than at-home delivery.

5. Lookout for Hidden Fees or Service Charges:

Many online grocery delivery services offer you the perceived value of ultimate convenience; however, this convenience usually comes in the form of a fee or service charge. Looking for options that are a little less convenient (Store Pick Up, Curbside & Click and Collect) could be a better option as most of these services are free to shoppers.

4. Plan Your Meals Ahead:

Traditional grocery shopping offers the opportunity for in-store surprise and delight via end caps and displays. In the online grocery environment, shoppers can plan out cost effective meal solutions via recipe websites or influencer blogs to find cost-saving tips paired with inspiration.

3. Identify Promotions:

Many retailers are adapting their models to extend savings to their shoppers via Online Grocery (especially the pickup version). Pairing those with rewards and savings can be a winning combination. Some retailers that run specific pricing promotions have reduced these during this time of Covid-19 due to excessive demand; however, retailers such as Walmart who maintain an EveryDay Low Price model have been winning the value equation over the past several months.

2. What about Leftovers:

Shoppers right now have the opportunity to make an online grocery order be more efficient and save money by thinking through what is the follow up leftover meal that follows the previous day’s recipe. There are countless websites that can provide this leftover strategy as you are thinking about eliminating food waste during this time and helping your dollar go farther.

1. Pickup is the Key:

I don’t want to belabor the point, but the best way to drive savings and avoid pesky upcharges is to make the effort to go to curbside pickup at your participating grocery location. Almost all grocery retailers are extending pricing and discounts for at-store pickup orders. This gives you full confidence you are maximizing the convenience factor while avoiding delivery fees and up-charges.

How have you been saving money on your weekly grocery budget? Join the conversation with fellow Shopkickers on Facebook!

Infographic: Create fun grocery shopping experiences

Posted on by shopkick

Many grocers and CPG companies are struggling to keep up with changing consumer preferences in the shopping and consumption of food. In the past, grocers didn’t have to prioritize driving traffic because shoppers didn’t have many other options. Yet with the explosion of new products, services and grocery entrants, it has become increasingly difficult for grocers to drive traffic to stores, to drive sales of higher margin center aisle products, and to build loyalty.

Our latest infographic covers struggles and opportunities in the grocery market in recent years:

  • Major CPGs are also facing stalling growth: The top 25 food & beverage companies in the US drove only 3% of category growth in 2015.
  • Trips to and spend at traditional super markets is decreasing: In the past 5 years, shoppers made 27% less trips per week and spent 33% less.
  • Traditional engagement drivers aren’t working like they used to: Retailers saw a 13% annual decrease in 2016 in coupon redemption.

Trips to and spend at traditional supermarkets decreasing

Get the facts about the changing grocery environment, and how fun and engaging shopping experiences can drive store visits, product sales and loyalty in our latest infographic.

View the full infographic.

Introducing Shopkick Grocery

Posted on by shopkick

Today’s grocery shopping experience exists across two universes: the digital and the physical. Shoppers are increasingly turning to apps, e-commerce, and digital personal shopping for convenience. Amazon’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods for nearly $14b is a clear indicator that the battle for innovation in grocery is on. How can grocers continue to attract business in this ever-evolving space?

Why Shopkick Grocery?

As a shopping rewards app, Shopkick’s mission is to drive product engagement and in-store action—effectively re-energizing consumers around the modern shopping experience. For the last seven years, Shopkick has primarily served the electronics and consumer apparel industries, but 2017 marks a new venture into the grocery store vertical. 

Grocery is a large, attractive market with $770B in total supermarket sales in the US,  and we believe it’s one in which we can contribute. Adding a mobile digital layer to brick-and-mortar grocery stores is the next step in necessary innovation. With online options gaining traction, turnkey mobile solutions like Shopkick can help incentivize shoppers of all ages to continue visiting stores.

These incentives matter more than ever, especially in light of the perceived convenience of shopping online. After all, high-frequency essentials shopping can be time-consuming and cumbersome. According to a user survey, 70% of Shopkick users visit multiple grocery stores every week. This gels with 2016 FMI findings that show an average of 1.6 shopping trips per week. For many, planning the grocery trip starts long before they step foot in the actual store—from reviewing the pantry and fridge (85%) to scanning for deals and coupons (60%) to planning meals (40%) and checking with other household members (50%).  

According to Nielsen research, the most common forms of in-store digital engagement are online or mobile coupons and mobile shopping lists. However, most brands would prefer to drive users to shelves without the use of costly coupons, which can crunch profit margins and dilute their brand. Shopkick empowers these brands by offering new and innovative ways of incentivizing sales—without requiring coupons or other traditional methods.

We’re pleased to share that so far, it’s working. We’ve spent the last year in beta testing, and we’re encouraged by what we see: Shopkick Grocery users spend nearly twice what the average American spends on groceries ($59 versus $32 a visit). They also go shopping more often (an average of 2.2 versus 1.6 times weekly). Product engagement is also boosted—with users engaging 33% more with what they see on the shelf than those who don’t use Shopkick.

The reason is simple: the game of earning rewards is fun. In the context of grocery shopping, one moment of joy goes a long way, and Shopkick provides these moments at home, in the aisle, at the register, and beyond. Retailers like Whole Foods have gotten the memo, too, with efforts focused on making grocery shopping more pleasant and aesthetically pleasing overall. It’s all part of the transformation from something that feels like a chore to something one actively chooses to do—and ensuring the longevity of a tried-and-true American pastime: shopping at the grocery store.

To learn more about Shopkick Grocery, visit https://www.shopkick.com/grocery-partners or contact us.

The next generation of retail experiences

Posted on by shopkick

Is your brand prepared for the CPG shopping experience of the future? Is your retail store equipped? New, innovative technologies are powering the next generation of in-store experiences and beyond. These three tips will help you create an efficient, effective endless aisle strategy.

1. Reach Consumers Pre-Store During Micro-Moments

Busy schedules and long to-do lists have fragmented the average shopper’s attention span. Dedicated ‘shopping trips’ are becoming a thing of the past. Shopping now happens during small windows throughout the day, such as 20 minutes while waiting to pick up a child from school or arrive at an appointment.

Today’s consumers place a premium on experiences, and these micro-moments offer an ideal opportunity to engage customers with educational videos or life hacks like timesaving recipes, money-saving offers, and product alternatives before they enter the store. Retailers, grocers and brand marketers need to build on the behavioral elements that drive purchase now and extend experiences across screens, beyond the store, and around the clock.

2. Focus on time spent, not clicks

App downloads are slowing thanks to a maturing ecosystem, dropping 20% among the top 15 US app publishers. However, a year-end analysis by App Annie found that time spent in apps is up by 25% over last year, so clearly this medium isn’t going anywhere. Apps remain an important touchpoint with consumers, indicating that engagement and frequency of use are the most accurate success metrics.

Consumer attention is the currency in marketing and advertising today. Retailers and brand marketers need to understand that it’s time spent that matters most, not click-throughs or downloads. As a result, it makes sense to focus more on immersing existing customers into the brand experience than enticing new customers.

3.    Develop Mutually-Beneficial Campaigns for Customer and Brand

The strongest argument for interactive engagement in-store is that ‘endless aisle’ solutions benefit brands, retailers, and consumers alike. Cutting-edge marketing technology finally enables CPG marketers to achieve closed-loop attribution for their efforts, while retailers see additional foot traffic, more guidance and exploration in-store, and movement from the perimeter to the center aisles. Consumers have a more entertaining shopping experience, save money, and accumulate rewards simply for doing the shopping they’d already planned to do.

Your brand or store doesn’t have to build a record-breaking mobile app to succeed. Consider the role interactive technology plays in your current customer interactions and how delivering an out-of-the-box, endless aisle solution can deliver better results for your marketing efforts.