Top 7 Trends Shaping the Future of Online Grocery

Online grocery shopping is here to stay and for a good reason. Convenience is what everybody looks for when they go out to buy grocery in Bahrain and online grocery is the synonym for convenience. You get everything you’re looking for and that too in a matter of seconds with a lot of opportunities to save. Here are the 7 trends that are shaping the future of online grocery.

Online Grocery Shopping Will Continue To Expand

COVID restrictions have started becoming more relaxed but the fact remains that people will continue sticking to the habits they developed during the time. For instance, many people continue to shop online for grocery despite the fact that physical stores are open again. Did you know that 30% of shoppers have shopped more categories online in 2020 vs 2018? The prediction holds that by 2025, 75% or more people will be shopping for groceries online.

As people start going back to normalcy, the number of shoppers going for physical in-store shopping will increase. However, at the same time, digital sales will not be reduced because people have gotten a taste of convenience and they would like to stick to it. Besides that, online grocery shopping has become the norm for the young and the old alike which is why the market share of online grocery shopping is only expected to rise. 

Stores May Start Incentivizing In-Store Shopping

In the coming few months and years, stores may see their in-store shopping decline. Due to this, they may start incentivizing in-store shopping to reduce their losses. They will also at the same time increase their delivery fees so people start shopping in stores. This can either mean that people might start shopping physically more as opposed to online or they can simply go to the online grocery websites popping up like Winbid!

This is one trend that will be shaping the way online grocery persists in the future. This tug of war is expected to remain there in the coming 3-5 years. Demand for online shopping may keep shifting. 

The Shopper Discovery Phase Will Be Important

There are four aspects of online grocery delivery places that are extremely important: search, inventory, visibility and promotions. These are critical but underwhelming aspects that shape whether shoppers remain with online grocery shopping or go back to stores. People look at online grocery shopping as a substitute for now so how will they start viewing this as the ultimate choice? 

If you buy online grocery in Bahrain, you will know that it can get frustrating to look for items online. Moreover, the promotion of online offers can be hard to keep track of plus they might not be that visible. The research shows that 80% of shoppers will leave a website if it does not show the things they need immediately. We might find it hard to move back and forth between aisles in a store but larger studies have shown that people prefer that over online searching. This is because in-store you can also see other price alternatives and the expiry date, these are things which may not always be available for your information through online channels.

How Well Can You Filter Products?

More than 75% of physical stores also offer delivery at home or curb-side pick-up so why would someone want to ditch their favorite stores? Over here, you need the option of being able to smoothly shop online in order for the grocery store online to be successful. If the interface is not easy to navigate and exceptionally good then the online grocery statistics may fall in the near future. If the new online grocery hubs do not focus on ensuring their interface and functionalities are the best ones out there, the trend of online grocery may decline.

Seamless Checkout Options Will Strengthen

Loyalty in online shopping is very frail. Online shoppers will easily change their party depending on where there are better deals or functionality. Retailers will have to focus on ensuring that the ordering and checkout options are especially helpful and seamless. Almost 50% of users will ditch their cart if they find that the ordering process is taking too long.

Shoppers who come to the online stores need personalization and customization to the process. This is aided by the availability of digital wallets and e- gift cards, and QR codes like Apple pay being offered as an option so people can move towards them. There also needs to be heavy investment in the constant updating of inventory for the online grocery sites because if a customer spends some time trying to put together a cart and then finds that the product was never there all along, they might return to the physical store. 

Placing and Receiving Orders 

People now need access to easier options to place orders and also receive them. Some grocery stores have certain times during which the order must be placed. If it is not during this time then they send your order to the next possible day. This can be inconvenient for the customer who would then opt for in-store shopping. Moreover, many online grocery stores, as you would know if you go to buy grocery in Bahrain, do not have weekend shopping options. Delivery would be only on weekdays which makes the online store no better.

Resolving Issues

The pandemic was also responsible for breaking all supply chains and disrupting product availability therefore, customer experience was troubled. Now if online grocery shops want to retain their customers, they must focus on  transparency, convenience, and personalized communications. If they do not resolve complaints at the right time, the trend of online grocery shopping might decline. 

Customer satisfaction begins from customer service and many people are hesitant to move towards online grocery shopping because they think their complaints will not be solved. The online grocery portals should focus on those who come to buy online groceries in Bahrain and be prompt in resolving their complaints and issues. This builds trust and makes loyal customers who continue adding fire to the trend of online grocery shopping.