How Food and Grocery Apps are Bringing Revolution in Retail Industry

According to research, more than 30 million consumers prefer to shop using their mobile devices rather than visiting a shop physically. Grocery shopping trips to the stores used to be time-consuming and hectic back when grocery shopping apps weren’t a thing. But now, digital transformation in the retail industry has made it possible to shop for grocery items from the comfort of your home. 

Statistics from Statista reveal that the number of adult grocery app users in the US is expected to hit 30.4 million consumers by 2022. Have a look: 

Food and grocery app development is changing the whole landscape of grocery shopping services. Read down below to find out the impact of digitalization on the retail industry.

Benefits of Food and Grocery Apps Development 

Digital transformation in the retail industry has changed the way retailers provide and customers shop for goods and services. Grocery & food delivery app development services can offer numerous benefits for customers and retailers, such as:

1. Saves time and cost

Stats by Time Use Institute show that the average time spent by a person at the grocery store is nearly 40 minutes, which multiplied by 1.5 trips each week makes 53 hours in a year.

One of the biggest benefits of digital transformation in retail is that customers can save a lot of time by using grocery apps.  

Ordering groceries online also eliminates the cost of travel and the need for people to stand in long queues to clear payments.

Customers can simply enter the product they are looking for in the search bar, add it to their cart, make the payment, and have it delivered to their doorsteps in no time. But the cart is half the battle. Businesses have to ensure that they’re partnering with reliable e-commerce shipping companies if they want to make sure their customers get what they paid for in a reasonable time frame.

2. Diversity in products

Another advantage of using grocery apps is that you can find a variety of products in the same place. Retail stores usually keep limited products in stock. On the other hand, grocery apps feature both local and international products in the same place.  

Grocery apps also make shopping for products much more convenient. Users can easily add/remove items from their carts, pay through their preferred method of payment, and much more.

Some apps even allow customers to turn on notifications and get notified when their desired products are back in stock.

3. Data collection

Customer data holds a lot of importance for retailers. It provides insights and analysis regarding consumer spending behavior, and customers’ needs and preferences. Food and grocery app development allow retailers to collect and analyze this data. 

Data collected usually includes; the likes and dislikes of customers, sought-after products, commonly used payment methods, customer expectations, reviews, and more. All of this can be used to improve customer experience, boost revenues and offer customized services to customers based on their input. 

"Instead of focusing on the competition, focus on the customer." Scott Cook"

4. Managing Budget

At stores, people usually don’t realize that they are needlessly spending on the stuff they don’t need.  However, grocery ordering app development allows customers to keep a check on the total bill of the groceries in the shopping cart, allowing them to drop any unnecessary items they might've bought.

Moreover, you can also track your monthly spending on groceries through online mobile grocery apps, and cut down on this spending if they are exceeding your estimate. 

“Ordering groceries online can help you be more purposeful with your food choices,” says Rahaf Al Bochi, registered dietitian nutritionist for the academy of nutrition and dietetics. 

What is the future of food and grocery app development?

The pandemic has propelled the retail industry a few years into the future. Millions of people made their first online grocery purchases during this time. Online grocery sales are predicted to reach $129.72 billion and make up about 10% of all supermarket sales in the US alone. 

Grocery App Usage will Grow

Grocery App Development solutions are bound to increase worldwide in the coming years, because not only do grocery apps benefit the customers; but are very beneficial for businesses as well.

Grocery shopping apps allow retailers to offer discounts on their products, which helps to attract more customers to the service. The customers, on the other hand, get to enjoy the discounts and look forward to returning to the particular store’s app in the future to avail of more discounts. 

The majority of the working class does not have enough time to visit grocery stores frequently. As more people start to get vaccinated and return to their busy routines, they’d like to save the time and effort spent on doing grocery manually.

This is also one of the reasons people are likely to purchase from grocery businesses whose mobile apps are easy to use and offer relevant recommendations. Also, people who have gotten used to purchasing groceries through apps are likely to resume even after shops open. 

However, with so many local and international retailers jumping onto the bandwagon to try their luck as online grocery shopping trends in 2021 take off, the businesses with existing grocery apps need to brace themselves for tough competition ahead.

Customer satisfaction is the key to success. As long as your app delivers value and ease of shopping, there are chances of it thriving in the market. 

You might also want to read: HOW TO BUILD A FOOD AND GROCERY SHOPPING APP WITHOUT WRITING A SINGLE LINE OF CODE? 

Takeaway

Digital transformation in the retail industry has made grocery shopping much easier and more convenient. Custom food and grocery app development is on the rise and this trend is not going away anytime soon.

Looking to hire grocery app developers for your business? Get in touch with InvoZone today.