Future of Online Grocery delivery business during COVID in 2021
Since the COVID-19 has started to spread across the globe & then a third or fourth wave of the virus has been emerging in the past more than a year now we are witnessing many changing trends in our society as well as in the industries that support it. People have started connecting with their loved ones on digital platforms, and businesses are communicating with their consumers through multiple digital channels. Consumers have changed the way they used to shop. Brick and mortar stores have moved to online grocery store app development, use of sanitizer, gloves, face masks, social distancing, and no-touch behavior has become a new norm.
Usually, trends evolve over time and businesses take some time to adapt and adjust to such changes. Although, not all trends follow the same path; few trends take time to evolve and come up on the forefront while some arise instantly unplanned and unexpected. COVID-19 is one such thing that has emerged overnight and has changed a lot of things at the personal as well as at the professional level.
When we look back before the year 2020 hand sanitizers, gloves, and masks were not on the list of most shoppers neither they were priorities for the supermarket operators but after the COVID-19 has emerged; social distancing, use of hand sanitizers, no-contact behavior have become a new norm. Well, no one knows how long such behaviors are going to last and when the crisis situation will be over and everything will be back to normal as it was before. However, one thing that has considerably increased in usage since the pandemic started and is likely to remain popular post-pandemic also is online shopping and especially adaption of online grocery ordering app & websites.
The grocery industry is booming presently as a result of COVID-19 pandemic but increasing sales comes with a lot of logistical challenges. These could include:
- Inventory Management: This involves ensuring that customers are receiving what they have seen, ordered or purchased online is available at the store.
- Staffing: People are staying at their homes, or are practicing social distancing due to the coronavirus crisis so having sufficient staff to handle online orders from receiving, packaging, shipping, to delivering end customers is a big challenge in the current situation.
- Providing Great Customer Experience: It is also essential to provide your customers a good experience while they shop online just like you deal with them offline.
- Adequate Staff of IT: Online grocery program needs to be committed and talented IT professionals to properly manage and support are the operations online.
The people in the grocery business must make quick decisions to fulfill the accelerated demand for online grocery orders. Of course, these decisions could not be taken blindly. Here are few steps that grocers can take to fulfill the demand of online orders effectively and efficiently:
- Don’t Look Back: It is uncertain exactly what will be the scene in the grocery business after the crisis is over but there is a valid reason to believe that the demand for online grocery will continue to grow because people will are likely to stick to online grocery ordering due to some hesitation in stepping-out and going to a grocery store physically because the habit of social distancing and no-touch behavior is not going to vanish completely even if the situation will resume normality. So, it is anticipated that online grocery ordering and delivery and online grocery app development will remain the same and even grow more.
- Bringing Fulfillment In-House: Although, it is much easier to outsource fulfillment to third-party grocers but if grocers make efforts to handle their own fulfillment in-house it will be helpful for them to preserve control over relationships with vendors as well as customers. As quickly the grocers will take control over their fulfilment more quickly they will be able to build their customer’s loyalty and know the purchasing trends which is very important for the growth of online grocery business.
- Improve Immediate Economics of Online Fulfillment: According to a financial firm, Jefferies retailers lose more than $10 on each transaction for every grocery delivery completed by manual in-store picking. This can be changed if grocers choose to have employees pick by zone instead of pick by order to improve efficiency. Grocers can also want to limit the availability of specific counter goods, like customizable amounts of deli food that would need employees to portion out the actual amount for each order. As an alternative, grocers could provide pre-portioned amounts in half-pound increments.
- Using Automated Solutions: Grocers can use automated solutions to increase the efficiency once they have brought their fulfillment in-house. Using automated solutions can help them to improve their efficiency as well as cost effectiveness. For instance, using micro-fulfillment centers they can go live in a few months instead of years.
Grocers using automated solutions can position themselves in a good way to capture market share as soon as the crisis ends. Those who are able to improve online fulfillment and take control of their own services can improve their brand reputation and also their in-store experience. Bad customer experience is the main reason why customers leave you and find somebody else who can be your competitor.
The growth of online grocery does not signify that in-store shopping will completely vanish; it’s just that the scenario will change just like other industries are evolving such as the retail industry that has also gone through the same scenario as that of the grocery business. Grocers that will follow the above-mentioned steps will improve and grow in the new era of grocery that will be combined with in-store grocery shopping.
COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all the sectors and industries since the time it has emerged but the surge in online businesses such as online grocery has shown strong sales during the crisis. In spite of many challenges such as fierce competition, supply chain issues, staff management issues grocers are trying to fulfill the needs and demand of the customers.
Lastly, If you would like to scale your grocery store through this tuff period you should have your own grocery delivery mobile app for your business.
