How Mobile Apps Are Becoming A Transformative Force for Grocery Retail?

One cannot deny over the fact that mobile technology has worked with its complete force to streamline many activities across sectors. There is a lesser requirement of time and efforts now to perform daily chores. Retail is one of those industries which has been affected majorly by rolling-in technologies. We have a lot of applications produced by some of the best mobile app developers on our finger tips selling out apparels, gadgets, accessories etc. but when it comes to receiving a variety in our daily essentials i.e. Grocery, we have fewer choices. Grocery makes a big part of our daily or weekly shopping requirements which is why it is high time to rethink its necessity in the online retail world.

Problems with current scenario: 

1. Geographical limitation: The brick and mortar grocery stores generally fail to get recognition among the whole city as they are approached just by the nearby people. Geographical limitation is a big challenge for them to overcome because it rarely happens that we are going to a faraway place in order to purchase may be a pack of rice. The business of a physical shop only depends upon the people living in local proximity. 

2. Lack of variety: Your local grocery store would not generally keep the branded items as there is rarely someone asking for the same. For example, there is a different variety of items needed by the health-conscious people which might include skimmed milk. Due to lack of variety, it becomes difficult for people to get options nearby. They have to travel to a faraway place or a supermarket. Just like other things, consumers also wish to gain access to a wide variety when it comes to grocery and other daily essentials. 

3. Low sales: Due to just a local reach, grocers fail to make expected amount of sales which is why it becomes difficult for them to grow their business while if we talk about other industries, the retail does pretty well through online accessibility. 

4. Rising cost of real estate: Generally, Grocers do not run shops on their own properties. They have to rent a space and due to rising cost of real estate, it becomes difficult for them to even afford a small shop in the market area. Running their business over online platforms can reduce their operation cost to a great extent which they can put in the promotion and marketing of the brand. 

5. Changing customer preferences: In this digitalized world, we have all the things on our fingertips which has raised our expectation and changed our preferences. We are relying more and more over online platforms to get all the daily chores done. This is a major setback faced by the Grocery industry that there are fewer online options on which customers can get a wide variety. 

Types of Grocery apps:

While mobile app development companies are tying their hands-on various types of applications using wide range of technologies, we have gotten three major types supporting online grocery retail businesses. 

A. In store apps

Whether it is about online platforms or traditional brick and mortar stores, we love to receive a personalized experience. In-store grocery apps does the same through which the customers can get an idea of the stock, products and location. 

B. Ecommerce apps

We all are aware of the amazing features an Ecommerce app can offer. Through grocery ecommerce apps, users can easily buy the daily essentials through few finger taps. Such apps also offer a wide range of categories and filter options through which user can easily get what he/she is looking for and quickly order the same. 

C. Personalized grocery apps

When it comes to Grocery, we all know that it is an integral part our day to day shopping. With personalized grocery apps, users can create the list of items required, set reminders and also share the same with their contacts. 

Benefits of Grocery Apps for customers: 

There are enormous benefits which a Grocery app can offer to the customers. Two of the major ones are as below. 

1. Wide variety of items: Grocery applications offer rich browsing and a wide variety of options to choose from. If you visit a physical store, you might not get the items of your preferred brand but when it comes to a grocery marketplace, there are a lot of sellers listed on it. So, if one seller does not have a particular product, the other one might have it. Over online stores, one gets a wide assortment of fruits, vegetable, international cuisine, beverages etc. 

2. Offering convenience: Since its inception, online shopping has always been a convenient option for the shoppers since they do not have to move out, locate a store and then purchase things. They just have to access an app and order things by few finger taps. These are especially important for the professional who remain indulged in their 9 to 7 jobs due to which they have to eat outside many times in a week. The same can affect their health badly. If they can have groceries delivered at home, they just have to take some time out for cooking. There is no need to commute through the super market as it is definitely an exhausting thing to do. 

If you are thinking to get an online grocery marketplace developed, then there are few features that can support its success. For example, the app should have an appealing design so that users can find it reliable. You should offer a simple on-boarding to the users so that in order to make a purchase they do not have to spend much time. The products should be categorised properly so as to make user quickly get what he/she is looking for. Also, inform your users about the important events such as their order status, deals, latest offers etc. 

Grocery retail has a great potential if used rightly. Means, you have to focus on offering a rich experience to the users so that they can take the maximum advantage out of this advancement.