AWG stores offering online shopping saw a five-times increase in online sales in March and April. While that number decreased slightly in May, it’s expected to remain at levels much higher than before the pandemic started. A giant wave of consumers gave online grocery shopping a shot during the crisis, allowing stores a chance to alleviate concerns about someone else picking their fresh meat and produce. Impressed with the service, many of those consumers will continue to shop for groceries online even as things get somewhat back to normal.
As order volume calms down to more manageable levels, now is the perfect time to evaluate existing ecommerce programs to improve processes that make it more profitable for the store and easier for the customer. With the increased demand for curbside pickup and delivery options, consider training additional team members to help manage online orders for high-volume days or when the scheduled picker is out sick. The increased labor power allows stores to offer more pickup windows each hour, providing an opportunity for more sales each day. During the busiest weeks of the COIVD-19 crisis, big-box competitors were booked 5-7 days in advance for online orders. If there’s a spike in demand in the future, being able to offer a quicker pickup turnaround may win business from cross-town competition.
This year’s pandemic has highlighted the benefits of grocery ecommerce for both consumers and retailers alike. As families adjust to the new normal, customers will expect the ability to order their groceries online for curbside pick up or delivery.
