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Omnichannel shoppers enjoy seamless experiences across multiple channels, but there is still work for grocers to do if they want their offerings to reach their full potential. Providing a truly seamless experience isn’t about delivering one great transaction but consistently proving that you’re offering exactly what shoppers want no matter where, when, or how they shop.

“We know that choosing to shop online or in-store varies by the consumer, the specific circumstance, type of trip, product category, and a variety of other factors,” said Kelli Fulton, Consumer Insights Manager at 84.51°. “Retailers can help consumers get more comfortable shopping online by building trust that it will be done to their satisfaction and that the experience will be ‘seamless’ based on the consumer’s definition.”

Fulton cited a survey by 84.51° that looked at some of the top demands from omnichannel grocery shoppers. The biggest desires among this demographic were:

• The same coupons are available online and in-store (67%)

• The pricing for the same product is the same online and in-store (66%)

• The quality of the product is the same online and in-store (61%)

Achieving these goals is easier said than done, thanks to the complexity of managing both in-store and online experiences. Shoppers will currently choose one channel over the other because of factors like believing they won’t have access to a grocer’s full selection online, which causes 43% of customers to shop in-store for availability — not necessarily because they wanted to make a trip. According to Fulton, this is another area where delivering on consistency can pay off by making customers feel they can shop the channel they want (and not the one they must).

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