Mr. Andrew Soobrian reports

NEARLY 80% OF GROCERY SHOPPERS USE DIGITAL TOOLS BEFORE OR DURING A TRIP, INTOUCH INSIGHT STUDY FINDS

Intouch Insight Ltd. has launched The Grocery Value Equation: How Grocers Turn Brand Promises into Shopper Trust. The study found that 79.2 per cent of grocery shoppers use digital tools before or during a shopping trip.

Retailer apps and websites were the first source of product information for 43.1 per cent of shoppers, with search engines coming second at 32.2 per cent. Both of these were ahead of in-store browsing, which came in at 21.1 per cent. This growing reliance on digital channels makes accurate, accessible information about prices, products, promotions and loyalty rewards an important part of the grocery experience.

"The grocery journey is becoming increasingly digital, even when the final purchase happens in a store," said Sarah Beckett, vice-president, sales and marketing, at Intouch Insight. "Shoppers are moving fluidly between retailer apps, websites and physical locations, making digital engagement an integral part of the overall grocery experience."

Out-of-stock promotions risk a shopper backlash

Weekly promotions have become a high-stakes touch point for grocers. Nearly three-quarters of shoppers, 72.3 per cent, consult a grocer's weekly ad or digital offers on every or most trips, and 84.6 per cent said they would react negatively if an advertised product were unavailable.

Grocers largely delivered on those expectations: Prices were also visible and easy to understand in 94 per cent of in-store shops and 99 per cent of digital shops, while a store-brand option was available for every applicable item on the shopping list in 84 per cent of in-store trips and 88 per cent of digital orders. The findings show that promotions attract shoppers, but product availability ultimately determines whether those offers reinforce or undermine trust.

Digital pickup performs well across key measures

Digital and curbside pickup experiences were generally reliable. Orders were ready by the promised time in 97.1 per cent of shops, pickup instructions were easy to follow in 92.6 per cent, and shoppers waited five minutes or less to receive their groceries in 87.4 per cent.

The study also examined what happens between on-line checkout and fulfilment. The final charge only matched the on-line checkout total in 67.4 per cent of orders driven by the variability of fees and promotions. A clear substitution choice was available in 89.7 per cent of shops, aligning with the 79.7 per cent of shoppers who want to set substitution preferences in advance or be contacted for approval.

"Digital grocery totals can change for routine reasons, including the final weight of produce or a shopper-approved substitution," Ms. Beckett said. "The opportunity is to communicate those variables clearly, identify the checkout total as an estimate and explain any adjustments once the order is fulfilled."

The study results were revealed Aug. 24 at GroceryNEXT in Chicago in collaboration with Informa and Supermarket News.

About the study

Intouch Insight mystery shoppers completed 302 in-store shops across 15 grocery chains and 175 digital and curbside pickup shops across 13 chains in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, southeast Texas, and southwest and northeast regions. Shoppers purchased five common grocery staples and documented prices, product availability, promotions, service and fulfilment through receipts, screenshots and photographs. The findings were supplemented by shopper sentiment surveys, consumer research and cross-industry data.

About Intouch Insight Ltd.

Intouch Insight is a customer experience solution company, specializing in helping multilocation brands achieve operational excellence and exceed customer expectations. The company provides mystery shopping, operational audits and customer feedback software to over 300 of the world's most beloved brands.