[[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article","articleBody":"\u201cIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness\u2026\u201d Charles Dickens wasn\u2019t talking about grocery retail in the digital age when he wrote the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities, but he could have been.\nWhat do the experts have to say about the digitization of grocery? (Trust me, nobody would have predicted the ending).\nBehind the trend, then a game of catch-up\nOrganizations are scrambling to survive because they didn\u2019t adapt to, or accept, e-commerce as a trend sooner. John McCoy, Global Vice President, Customer Experience Advisors at SAP, noted that over the last few years, there\u2019s been an interdepartmental battle of sorts within companies between e-commerce and the rest of the divisions, as they fought the concept that the digital consumer was as important as the in-store consumer, and would continue to be increasingly important in the future.\nIn a frenzy to catch up, many brands are quickly trying to add services like online shopping, in-store-pick-up, and home delivery; some by partnering with third-party apps simply to say they offer the service. The catch is, \u201cThey aren\u2019t really thinking about the consumer\u2019s best interest; they aren\u2019t creating high-value moments with customers, and when they don\u2019t do that, they aren\u2019t any closer to their customer than they were beforehand.\u201d\nSaying it again for the folks in the back: If you\u2019re adding services, but not focusing on experiences, you stand to lose, instead of gain or retain, customers.\nJohn is a retail and CX expert, but first and foremost, he\u2019s a consumer.\nHow to lose a loyal customer with one customer experience: A plot twist\nIn a matter of a single online journey, Stephanie Waters, Global Retail Principal, went from a loyal consumer to a lost customer.\nA lifelong, enthusiastic customer of a high-end supermarket, Stephanie was ecstatic when they finally began offering home delivery in her neighborhood. She went online expecting an outstanding customer experience, and to say that the retailer underperformed would be a kind summary.\nA fervent believer that a certain low-price retailer was one that he would never use, John spent most of his life rabidly opposed to them until he and his wife began to research grocery options in their city. Reluctantly, he gave them a try. Today their family spends over 90% of their food budget with that retailer.\nThe differences between their experiences couldn\u2019t have been more stark, and it all came down to a key point: One retailer offered \u201ccheck the box\u201d services, but a poor customer experience, while the other looked at the customer with a 360 degree lens, and used data to engage and delight.\nA revolutionary change: Grocery retail is swept up in the tide\nSo what did these grocery retailers get so right and so wrong?\nHere\u2019s a juxtaposition of their experiences:\nStephanie: When she went online to place her first order with her supermarket\u2019s delivery partner, she started to look for her favorite items, which required having to scroll through hundreds of products listed in random order to find what she needed.\nThen, as she began to fill her cart, she realized that the prices were significantly higher (15-30%) than in-store. On top of that, she discovered that while they offered free delivery on her first order, there was a service charge, and she\u2019d still have to tip the driver.\nShe would have abandoned the order at this point, but decided to continue with the process for research purposes. She was further stunned to see them ask her to sign up for a $149 subscription for a year of \u201cfree delivery\u201d after she completed her order.\n\u201cI won\u2019t be using that service again,\u2019 said Stephanie, \u201cFortunately, more and more online grocery options are being offered in my area. I\u2019m confident I can find one that offers a great user experience at a reasonable price point.\u201d\nJohn: As John began to interact with the retailer, his surprises were of the pleasant and radical kind.\nHow radical?\nBeyond now spending 90% of their grocery budget with a brand that he\u2019d never spent a dime with, he said that the experience has, \u201cliterally changed our lives and given us back more time-probably about four hours per week.\u201d\nHe noted that if the retailer is out of a product, they always substitute up, never down, and the employee that greets him when he stops to pick up his grocery offers samples of products that he and his family might like based on their grocery lists. Free samples. Which they in turn purchase in the future. He even noted that when that employee is off for the day, they are sad not to see his face.\nImagine not just gaining a customer, but gaining a loyal customer who touts the praises of your brand to all of their neighbors, who in turn begin using the brand.\nImagine losing a customer, not just any customer, but a lifelong and loyal customer, who expresses her genuine sorrow and frustrations when talking about your brand.\nThat\u2019s the new reality of shopping in the digital age. The key difference is that one brand retained their customer data and used it to provide outstanding experiences for their customers every single time that they engaged with them, while the other served up a lackluster, far more expensive option without ever following up or realizing that their customer was gone.\nThat\u2019s the world we live in now.\nShifting retail landscapes. Varying buying behavior. What makes people click \u201cbuy\u201d? We\u2019ve got the answers HERE.","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_Person","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_Person_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/JennVandeZande_Profile_Pic_2018-1-150x150.jpg"},"name":"Jenn Vande Zande","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/jennvzande","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jennvandezande"],"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/"},"dateModified":"2021-07-29T23:57:44+00:00","datePublished":"2017-05-01T14:30:00+00:00","description":"Grocery shopping in the digital age is changing rapidly. You can lose or gain a customer based solely on one online experience. Is yours up to par?","headline":"Shopping in the digital age: A tale of two grocery experiences","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_ImageObject","height":"630","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thumbnail-c5041909fbb250effb0a36982e745011-1200x630.jpeg","width":"1200"},"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/","name":"Shopping in the digital age: A tale of two grocery experiences","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/","additionalType":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q1193236","description":"Relevant, timely information & analysis on commerce trends, both consumer-facing and B2B.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","height":"96","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","width":"500"},"name":"The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/a-call-for-a-better-experience\/id1479742201","https:\/\/twitter.com\/FutureOfCEC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/4844282","https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/feed\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/"},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Organization","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","height":"96","width":"500","@id":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1"},"name":"The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/a-call-for-a-better-experience\/id1479742201","https:\/\/twitter.com\/FutureOfCEC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/4844282","https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/feed\/"],"additionalType":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q1193236","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/","description":"Relevant, timely information & analysis on commerce trends, both consumer-facing and B2B.","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/"},{"@type":["Article"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article","@context":{"@vocab":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","kg":"http:\/\/g.co\/kg"},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/","publisher":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/"}],"author":[{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_author_Person","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/jennvzande","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jennvandezande\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/jennvzande"],"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_author_Person_image_ImageObject","url":"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' viewBox='0 0 1 1'%3E%3C\/svg%3E"}],"name":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/"}],"subjectOf":[{"@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_subjectOf_FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity0","name":"Behind the trend, then a game of catch-up","acceptedAnswer":[{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity0_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"Organizations are scrambling to survive because they didn\u2019t adapt to, or accept, e-commerce as a trend sooner. John McCoy, Global Vice President, Customer Experience Advisors at SAP, noted that over the last few years, there\u2019s been an interdepartmental battle of sorts within companies between e-commerce and the rest of the divisions, as they fought the concept that the digital consumer was as important as the in-store consumer, and would continue to be increasingly important in the future.In a frenzy to catch up, many brands are quickly trying to add services like online shopping, in-store-pick-up, and home delivery; some by partnering with third-party apps simply to say they offer the service. The catch is, \u201cThey aren\u2019t really thinking about the consumer\u2019s best interest; they aren\u2019t creating high-value moments with customers, and when they don\u2019t do that, they aren\u2019t any closer to their customer than they were beforehand.\u201dJohn is a retail and CX expert, but first and foremost, he\u2019s a consumer."}]},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity1","name":"How to lose a loyal customer with one customer experience: A plot twist","acceptedAnswer":[{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity1_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"In a matter of a single online journey, Stephanie Waters, Global Retail Principal, went from a loyal consumer to a lost customer.A lifelong, enthusiastic customer of a high-end supermarket, Stephanie was ecstatic when they finally began offering home delivery in her neighborhood. She went online expecting an outstanding customer experience, and to say that the retailer underperformed would be a kind summary.A fervent believer that a certain low-price retailer was one that he would never use, John spent most of his life rabidly opposed to them until he and his wife began to research grocery options in their city. Reluctantly, he gave them a try. Today their family spends over 90% of their food budget with that retailer.The differences between their experiences couldn\u2019t have been more stark, and it all came down to a key point: One retailer offered \u201ccheck the box\u201d services, but a poor customer experience, while the other looked at the customer with a 360 degree lens, and used data to engage and delight."}]},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity2","name":"A revolutionary change: Grocery retail is swept up in the tide","acceptedAnswer":[{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#subjectOf_FAQPage_mainEntity2_acceptedAnswer_Answer","text":"So what did these grocery retailers get so right and so wrong?Here\u2019s a juxtaposition of their experiences:<strong>Stephanie:<\/strong> When she went online to place her first order with her supermarket\u2019s delivery partner, she started to look for her favorite items, which required having to scroll through hundreds of products listed in random order to find what she needed.Then, as she began to fill her cart, she realized that the prices were significantly higher (15-30%) than in-store. On top of that, she discovered that while they offered free delivery on her first order, there was a service charge, and she\u2019d still have to tip the driver.She would have abandoned the order at this point, but decided to continue with the process for research purposes. She was further stunned to see them ask her to sign up for a $149 subscription for a year of \u201cfree delivery\u201d after she completed her order.\u201cI won\u2019t be using that service again,\u2019 said Stephanie, \u201cFortunately, more and more online grocery options are being offered in my area. I\u2019m confident I can find one that offers a great user experience at a reasonable price point.\u201d<strong>John:<\/strong> As John began to interact with the retailer, his surprises were of the pleasant and radical kind.How radical?Beyond now spending 90% of their grocery budget with a brand that he\u2019d never spent a dime with, he said that the experience has, \u201cliterally changed our lives and given us back more time-probably about four hours per week.\u201dHe noted that if the retailer is out of a product, they always substitute up, never down, and the employee that greets him when he stops to pick up his grocery offers samples of products that he and his family might like based on their grocery lists. Free samples. Which they in turn purchase in the future. He even noted that when that employee is off for the day, they are sad not to see his face.That\u2019s the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/06\/04\/grocery-retailers-2019\/\">new reality of shopping in the digital age<\/a>. The key difference is that one brand retained their customer data and used it to provide outstanding experiences for their customers every single time that they engaged with them, while the other served up a lackluster, far more expensive option without ever following up or realizing that their customer was gone.That\u2019s the world we live in now."}]}]}],"image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/#Article_image_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/thumbnail-c5041909fbb250effb0a36982e745011-1200x630.jpeg","width":"1200","height":"630"}],"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/05\/01\/shopping-in-the-digital-age-a-tale-of-two-grocery-experiences\/","articleBody":"\n        \u201cIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness\u2026\u201d Charles Dickens wasn\u2019t talking about grocery retail in the digital age when he wrote the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities, but he could have been.\nWhat do the experts have to say about the digitization of grocery? (Trust me, nobody would have predicted the ending).\nBehind the trend, then a game of catch-up\nOrganizations are scrambling to survive because they didn\u2019t adapt to, or accept, e-commerce as a trend sooner. John McCoy, Global Vice President, Customer Experience Advisors at SAP, noted that over the last few years, there\u2019s been an interdepartmental battle of sorts within companies between e-commerce and the rest of the divisions, as they fought the concept that the digital consumer was as important as the in-store consumer, and would continue to be increasingly important in the future.\nIn a frenzy to catch up, many brands are quickly trying to add services like online shopping, in-store-pick-up, and home delivery; some by partnering with third-party apps simply to say they offer the service. The catch is, \u201cThey aren\u2019t really thinking about the consumer\u2019s best interest; they aren\u2019t creating high-value moments with customers, and when they don\u2019t do that, they aren\u2019t any closer to their customer than they were beforehand.\u201d\nSaying it again for the folks in the back: If you\u2019re adding services, but not focusing on experiences, you stand to lose, instead of gain or retain, customers.\nJohn is a retail and CX expert, but first and foremost, he\u2019s a consumer.\nHow to lose a loyal customer with one customer experience: A plot twist\nIn a matter of a single online journey, Stephanie Waters, Global Retail Principal, went from a loyal consumer to a lost customer.\nA lifelong, enthusiastic customer of a high-end supermarket, Stephanie was ecstatic when they finally began offering home delivery in her neighborhood. She went online expecting an outstanding customer experience, and to say that the retailer underperformed would be a kind summary.\nA fervent believer that a certain low-price retailer was one that he would never use, John spent most of his life rabidly opposed to them until he and his wife began to research grocery options in their city. Reluctantly, he gave them a try. Today their family spends over 90% of their food budget with that retailer.\nThe differences between their experiences couldn\u2019t have been more stark, and it all came down to a key point: One retailer offered \u201ccheck the box\u201d services, but a poor customer experience, while the other looked at the customer with a 360 degree lens, and used data to engage and delight.\nA revolutionary change: Grocery retail is swept up in the tide\nSo what did these grocery retailers get so right and so wrong?\nHere\u2019s a juxtaposition of their experiences:\nStephanie: When she went online to place her first order with her supermarket\u2019s delivery partner, she started to look for her favorite items, which required having to scroll through hundreds of products listed in random order to find what she needed.\nThen, as she began to fill her cart, she realized that the prices were significantly higher (15-30%) than in-store. On top of that, she discovered that while they offered free delivery on her first order, there was a service charge, and she\u2019d still have to tip the driver.\nShe would have abandoned the order at this point, but decided to continue with the process for research purposes. She was further stunned to see them ask her to sign up for a $149 subscription for a year of \u201cfree delivery\u201d after she completed her order.\n\u201cI won\u2019t be using that service again,\u2019 said Stephanie, \u201cFortunately, more and more online grocery options are being offered in my area. I\u2019m confident I can find one that offers a great user experience at a reasonable price point.\u201d\nJohn: As John began to interact with the retailer, his surprises were of the pleasant and radical kind.\nHow radical?\nBeyond now spending 90% of their grocery budget with a brand that he\u2019d never spent a dime with, he said that the experience has, \u201cliterally changed our lives and given us back more time-probably about four hours per week.\u201d\nHe noted that if the retailer is out of a product, they always substitute up, never down, and the employee that greets him when he stops to pick up his grocery offers samples of products that he and his family might like based on their grocery lists. Free samples. Which they in turn purchase in the future. He even noted that when that employee is off for the day, they are sad not to see his face.\nImagine not just gaining a customer, but gaining a loyal customer who touts the praises of your brand to all of their neighbors, who in turn begin using the brand.\nImagine losing a customer, not just any customer, but a lifelong and loyal customer, who expresses her genuine sorrow and frustrations when talking about your brand.\nThat\u2019s the new reality of shopping in the digital age. The key difference is that one brand retained their customer data and used it to provide outstanding experiences for their customers every single time that they engaged with them, while the other served up a lackluster, far more expensive option without ever following up or realizing that their customer was gone.\nThat\u2019s the world we live in now.\n  Shifting retail landscapes.\nVarying buying behavior.\nWhat makes people click \u201cbuy\u201d?\nWe\u2019ve got the answers HERE.\n\n\n\n\t\n      ","dateModified":"2021-07-29T23:57:44+00:00","name":"Shopping in the digital age: A tale of two grocery experiences","datePublished":"2017-05-01T14:30:00+00:00","headline":"Shopping in the digital age: A tale of two grocery experiences","description":"Grocery shopping in the digital age is changing rapidly. You can lose or gain a customer based solely on one online experience. 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