Employing part-time workers is a catch-22. Part-time employees work in the grocery industry (for now) because they don’t require a lot of experience or high wages. However, when your employees aren’t consistently in your store or tied to your company with a full-time position, it’s likely that they’re less informed, less engaged, and ingrained in…
Customer interaction is the single most important aspect of every grocery employees job. It’s one thing to be a great stocker or date checker, a detail-oriented cashier or excellent manager. However, if you can’t assist customers, answer their questions, or develop a connection with them, you’re not adding a lot of value to a grocery…
Just as technology is integral to maintaining a talented, engaged workforce in the grocery industry, it is the key to drawing and retaining a high quality clientele. Customers will no longer share their loyalty with just any grocer. They want to know that their needs are being met: both in terms of inventory selection and…
Reducing shrink in a grocery store can seem like an almost impossible task. While the retail industry in general is plagued with loss prevention woes, grocery can be even more difficult to monitor simply because of the nature of its products. Customers can eat products before purchasing them and items can even go bad on…
Loyalty programs have been standard fare in the grocery industry for decades, even before digital tracking became an option. Grocers used tools like punch cards and good old person-to-person recognition to identify loyal customers. Technology has come a long way since then, allowing many retailers to create loyalty programs that not only track points, but…
Personalization is one of the hottest topics in retail right now. At conferences like NRF and NGA, the concept was featured in nearly every session, from how to personalize in-store activations, to creating detailed targeting within marketing efforts and fine-tuning your supply chain. Retailers across the country are prioritizing this business strategy, jumpstarting projects that will turn their stores into personalized havens for their customers.
Or will they?
The rules of retail are changing – and you’re probably tired of hearing about it.
Customer loyalty used to be a given if you were located in a typical suburban area. Shoppers weren’t able to easily access your competitors, and yours was the store that happened to be on their drive home. Now, customers are just a few clicks away from their material desires (including grocery items!), and many industry experts have predicted the fall of brick-and-mortar retailers.
There is more than enough content telling you what to do as a retailer. Ebooks are sold, blog posts are written (ahem), podcasts are recorded, and webinars are held all with the express interest of persuading you that there is yet another thing that you need to add to your to-do list. Would you believe me if I told you that none of these new concepts would dramatically change your business?
Instead of adding another worry to your plate, what if you tried tweaking the processes and policies that you already have in place?
One of the most-discussed trends in retail is the collective shift toward seeking customer loyalty over a one-time sale. There’s good reason for the conversation: according to a study by Edelman, loyal customers will spend up to 67% more with your brand than new customers. It’s not about bringing new faces into your store in 2019 – it’s about convincing them to keep coming back.
Grocers are aware of the impact of customer loyalty, and are turning to unique business strategies in order to develop that connection. One such strategy is becoming food waste-free.
When it comes to maintaining a successful retail business in 2019, all roads lead back to transparency. We’ve entered a phase of consumer behavior in which honesty is valued even above traditionally prioritized factors like price and brand recognition. As a grocer, this means that you must change your business practices in order to fit this new standard. Without customer transparency, you may not be able to garner customer loyalty – and that could mean the end for your business.