Digital Grocery Commerce: Insights for Enhancing Consumer Connection with Grocery Shopping Apps

Description:

Presently grocery shopping apps offered by retailers seem to be one-size-fits-all and not strategically integrated within the stores' marketing plan. Developed under the Gerald E. Peck Fellowship with Saint Joseph's University and authored by Nancy Childs, Ph.D, Gerald E. Peck Fellow, this report is the second in a series of three studies and analyzes the current digital grocery landscape including shopper behavior, smartphone penetration/use and grocery app awareness, usage and barriers to use. The report identifies four segments as relevant to grocery retailers in crafting a digital mobile strategy for shopper engagement. In addition, an interactive TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency) tool, titled the SJU Peck Grocery App Dashboard, is developed allowing identification of primary app functions desired for specific target groups based on digital shopping segment, basket size, and frequency of interest of buying groceries online. It also yields valuable information enabling strategic deployment of app function and design for more customized use and enhanced profitability. This report offers insights for strengthening the retailer’s connection with the shopper in an era of increasing erosion in the shopper store relationship.