Leveraging Digital Tools to Enhance the Shopping Experience

Retailers have only just scratched the surface when it comes to leveraging consumer technology to enhance the shopping experience, according to a new research study from Brick Meets Click, a research and consultancy firm.

The study, “Responding to Digital Innovation in Grocery Shopping,” which is based on Brick Meets Click’s work with food retailers and suppliers over 2011, presents five findings that can help food retailers respond to changing shopper needs.

“Many grocery shoppers are already using digital tools and retailers have to keep up or face the consequences,” said Bill Bishop, chief architect of Brick Meets Click, and author of the report.

These five findings are:

• Digital innovation gives grocery retailers the capability to create new shopper value faster and easier than ever before.
• Shoppers are becoming more dependent on technology, but it’s difficult to anticipate exactly where they find the value.
• Digital innovation makes it practical to communicate in many new ways with shoppers.
• Digital business building needs to generate measurable increases in top and bottom line performance to be sustainable.
• Shifting from mass to personalized communications requires significant organizational change.

Each of the findings explores the implications and suggests potential next steps to translate these insights into action.

“The most important thing is that digital innovation is opening up the possibility to more quickly and easily create shopper value,” said Bishop. “At a time when competition is intense and budgets are tight, this is the place to focus more resources. A few retailers are doing it now, but they are the exceptions”.

This report is part of Brick Meets Click’s commitment to bringing new information to support thought leading conversation. Download a free copy of the report.