Time is precious. The age-old expression rings especially true today, as life and business seem to move faster to accommodate new strides in communication and technology. Many people agree that there are simply never enough days in the week. How do you balance work and errands with leisure and family time?
I believe that modern living often requires a little creative multi-tasking to make it work. For me, Saturday afternoon used to be dedicated to both the chores and family; heading to the grocery store with the family — reconnecting while we shop.
Meet the Convenience Shopper
But now an emerging generation of consumers is rethinking the value of their time and looking for smarter ways to use it. Technology has afforded new freedoms and flexibility, allowing anyone to spend their leisure time more wisely. Why would I want to waste an hour or more at the store when most everyday products are available online with a simple click of a button? Grocery shopping amidst the crowds could easily make way for an afternoon hike in the park.
If time is indeed a precious commodity, why not give it more value. Say hello to the "Convenience Shopper," an emerging segment of consumers willing to pay a little bit more for products and services that give them back more time in their week.
E-Commerce for convenience shopping is on the rise. Data shows that the browse-to-buy correlation is very strong for everyday products – in fact 33% of the global respondents to a recent Nielsen survey say that they browse for everyday products online and that 31% of them go on to purchase these products. The top categories are personal care products, groceries, pet products and baby supplies!
Grocery Shopping Gets Convenient
More and more grocery stores are coming online to serve the convenience shopper, and it's projected to keep growing in the years to come. This is even the case in cities with highly developed infrastructures and short distances. Sure, a customer can pop out to the local store in a few minutes, but over time this adds up. It only takes one try to recognize how big the convenience really is — you can shop your entire week of groceries during a coffee break or on a commute to work.
A big market segment is already on-board with this lifestyle. In cities like Singapore or Hong Kong, pure-play groceries like Redmart and click-and-mortar groceries such as Fairprice, Cold Storage and Parknshop are gaining significant traction. At the same time, online specialty groceries are also emerging such as Eatfresh and Profood in Hong Kong or Delicia in Singapore. The fact is, more and more consumers like me are re-evaluating how they spend their time, and turning to online convenience shopping to help improve the quality of their lives. The future looks bright for both big and small businesses selling online grocery and convenience products at large.
Trends & Best Practices in Online Convenience Shopping
While convenience shopping is on the rise, it should be noted that there are some distinct needs of the everyday convenience shopper, compared to the occasional buyer of more expensive items such as electronics or fashion. Here are some factors to bear in mind when considering providing online convenience shopping experiences:
Prominently display delivery timeslots upfront
One key barrier to buying convenience items is booking the delivery time. If I'm at work and there's no one at home to wait in for a delivery, my available timeslots are going to be narrow – maybe just a few hours between getting home and going out to get some dinner. Since this is a key barrier, it’s important to let the consumer know upfront that there's a convenient timeslot available for them before they even begin to shop.
Provide a substantial discount for the first orders
Convenience shopping online is still a new thing for some. Old, traditional habits are hard to break. A steep initial discount is one way to change peoples' patterns of behavior and encourage them to experience the benefits of online convenience shopping first hand.
Provide a "pick up in store" option
Sometimes customers want the flexibility of not being tied down to a delivery slot, but still want the convenience of picking out and paying for their goods online. Many are happy to place an order and simply drop by their local store to pick up the bags of product on the way home from work.
Provide a re-order list
Using technology, it's possible to really maximize the benefits of convenience shopping online versus offline. Providing a re-order list for regularly purchased items is a great way to provide this extra value while giving the consumer a reason not to switch to using another retailer as they have their lists of frequently bought products conveniently saved.
Send top-up reminders via email
Another way to use technology to drive convenience is to send email reminders that certain previously purchased consumable items (such as shampoo or baby formula) are likely to be running out, and provide an easy way for the customer to add these items to their cart. This has the added benefit of reminding the consumer of your existence and drawing them back into your store.
Provide educational information on your site
Unlike in brick-and-mortar stores, online, it's possible to provide useful, valuable content alongside products. Stain removal tips can be placed alongside cleaning products, nutritional tips next to vitamins and supplements, and recipes alongside food products. So long as this content doesn't get in the way of the product browsing and selection process, it can drive purchases as well as provide a feeling that the retailer is knowledgeable and cares about its customers. In addition to this, the content will help your site rank higher in search engines.
Create curated collections of products
Online, you can present products in limitless ways. Because there are no floor space limitations, you can easily create collections of products to meet particular consumer needs, whether it's products on sale, products for summer or winter holidays, or products to combat a particularly bad spell of air pollution. You can be creative and responsive to whatever is happening in the world around us and capture some extra sales.
The growth in online convenience shopping marks the beginning of an era where almost everything is expected to be available for purchase online. From luxury goods, to services, to everyday purchases like groceries — businesses need to be catering for the online consumer who is already looking for opportunities to buy.