By Joel Albrizio

"Independent Retailers...Their Customers Are Too Old For Digital"

I shared an article Sunday on LinkedIn from eMarketer. Here is the link to that article.

https://www.emarketer.com/content/online-grocery-shopping-is-reaching-a-tipping-point

The article is much of what as retailers we already fully understand. In waves the consumer today, in every age group is migrating towards digital. Customers will choose the specials they enjoy most and where they will shop for them online.

Where Does The Printed Ad Fit In All Of This...Is The Printed Ad A Fit?

As supermarket customers we service migrate to digital we believe the printed ad does remain relevant. Many of our retailers distribute printed circulars once or twice per month while employing digital to reach the consumer every week.

KPMG recently published a study showing that close to half (48%) of US grocery shoppers currently purchase at least some of their groceries online and 59% intend to in 2019. Those who plan to do 40% or more of their grocery shopping online make up the fastest-growing segment—from 17% in 2018 to 25% in 2019. 

So if we imagine 59% of U.S. grocery shoppers intend to purchase at lease some of their groceries online in 2019 how many will do so with a laptop or phone in one hand and a printed ad in the other hand. This digital referral reaches what was referred to as the tipping point. Digital is here to stay and together as an industry we need to figure this out.

Independent Retailers Experience Flat Retail Sales As The New Good?

In conversations every day independent retailers either tell us one of the following latest talking points. Flat sales are the new good or My customers are too old for digital marketing.

If this philosophy is in fact correct, and I believe it is, then as an industry we have accepted intended irrelevance in the absence of a digital plan as our retail customer ages and independent supermarket sales diminish with our older consumer demographic.

Kroger Is Digital...Kroger Will Survive & Perhaps Even Thrive!

Kroger like many of the major retail supermarkets has adapted with the times. Kroger has both accepted and adapted to changes in the marketplace. According to Yael Cosset, chief digital officer of Kroger, we have done everything to make the ability to shop digitally available to all of our customers throughout the U.S.

As independent grocers we have the unique opportunity to make almost instant price and item decisions digitally as soon as we understand the big boxes price points. Then digitally we can extend those now established right priced items to all of the potential shoppers likely to shop our store.

Lets dig a little deeper and accept casual dining as a real competitor as well. How will we invite the shopper to enjoy our best prepared food options or tell a customer what time we will open after the storm weeks in advance while planning a printed ad?

Let me close with these talking points....

My customer is too old for digital...Yet the largest growing digital demographic is the elderly.

My customer can't afford a computer or a cell phone...But the same shopper will spend $19.70 a week for the Boston Globe?

There are government sponsored programs for those in need for cell phones. Does any state have a financially subsidized program for the daily newspaper?

Next to every time clock in every supermarket is a note not to use your cell phone while at work. When was the last time we posted a sign not to read the newspaper while at work?

I agree I find many of these conversions frustrating. However there is nothing more fulfilling that when a retailer makes the move to digital and now has greater discretionary funds for real markdowns intended to build retail sales.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife