Now more than ever, consumers are buying their groceries online but are only sticking to their lists of necessary items. Food companies are trying to find methods to persuade consumers to impulse shop like they would in an actual store. Hershey Co. now asks online shoppers picking up their groceries in stores if they would like to add candy or gum. This mimics the traditional grocery shopping experience “where 56% of shoppers always or often purchase a snack.” However, this is only one challenge, as new companies emerge online and easily build a large customer base without much marketing. The food purchasing industry is changing to make any product available to consumers whenever they want it. Big grocery companies such as Campbell Soup Co. and Kraft Heinz Co. are now investing and delving into increasing online sales. Their biggest challenge is in physical stores where their products dominate the shelves, but online consumers are finding newer brands. People tend to buy perceived healthy products online, such as granola bars. Since processed food and candy are typically bought impulsively, they sell better in stores. InConstext Solutions is currently looking towards virtual reality shopping as an option in the future. Instacart is placing samples inside online shoppers’ carts in order to promote online consumers buying and trying new items in the future. Best-selling online products tend to come up early in the online shopping search results and people rebuy for the sake of convenience. Brands can pay for placement and advertising to drive up online sales.
As a grocery shopper, I have noticed the new focus on online shopping. The place function has shifted from brick and mortar to online as customers place a higher priority on convenience. This is changing the way brands market to online consumers to drive up impulse buying, which consumers should be aware of as they purchase groceries online. Grocers are providing samples of products and paying for top search results to get consumers buying their products. As times change, it is interesting to see the shift in online consumerism for groceries. People want convenience now more than ever. As a millennial, I am open and interested in trying new to the market brands rather than the tried and true. With a level playing field online, big brands are having to work harder to compete for consumers’ attention.
By: Megan McKee
https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-food-companies-get-people-to-make-impulse-purchases-online-1508119561
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