Online Marketing †Grocery Retailing Business Essay

With household internet access continuing to increase, the customer base for online grocery shopping is widening, while opposite technological innovations such as the advent of smart phones is further benefiting the market (Source Global Market Review of Online securities industry Retailing report available at www.MarketResearch.com).The grocery retailing industry has some opportunities inherent in it for online marketing, and the competitive advantages that it would provide. While local brick-and-mortar storefronts will always be necessary due to the decayable nature of many items, the bulk and expense of shipping groceries and the occasional need to purchase something immediately there are ways in which the internet batch be leveraged to add to consumer convenience and increased profits.Providing online shopping is a possibility for grocery retailers. Its very different than dry-goods retailers such as books, music, shoes and costume or services being marketing such as tra vel. To date, sales of food and drinks oer the internet have yet to make the same doctor observed in other parts of the consumer goods industry, most notably books, clothing and electronic items such as computer equipment (Source Global Market Review of Online Grocery Retailing report available at www.MarketResearch.com). One way to leverage the internet and I have seen this at my local ShopRite is to purchase groceries online and pick them up at the local store. The shopper clicks on the items they want in an online virtual market, which are then gathered by a personal shopper in the store. The shopper then drives over to the market, pays at the customer service counter near the front of the store, from which an associate will even wheel the cart out and load the bags into their vehicle.The potential is as well there for personalization. By tracking online purchases, a profile can be developed with shorter lists of preferred items from which selections can be made. There could be a streamer templateorder (bread, milk, eggs, etc.) or whatever the consumer buys on a regular basis which could provide a starting point, then be tweaked or added to by the consumer depending on their needs at any particular time.The system could become so sophisticated so as to proactively tell a consumer of an upcoming brush aside or sale price on an item. In this form of integrated marketing, For example, Im entering an order and going to put an item on there that I usually buy. The smart technology has already prepared an item profile, and can tell me that it is going on sale in a few days, in case I want to wait to take advantage of the lower price. It could also inform me of a manufacturers coupon I may not be aware of and send me to that suppliers website for a printable or scannable coupon.Online shopping can reach more(prenominal) customers. Perhaps there are elderly, handicapped or other shut-ins for whom it is inconvenient to shop in a grocery store. So maybe the y let a relative do their shopping, which would be at the store of the relatives choosing. Now, the consumer can bring their business to the store of their own choosing, and simply ask someone to pick it up. Or perhaps they can drive, just not walk around the store. This could also increase the order size, since someone will be get-up-and-go it around the store and loading it into their vehicle for them. The opportunity also exists for a store to provide or arrange for delivery service to the consumers home. change magnitude customer loyalty is another way in which grocery retailers can utilize online marketing to increase business.Many stores already have store cards with store discounts and coupons attached to them, as well as incentive goals to be reached with benefits attached. With online marketing, all of this information can be tracked. The coupons that print at the register and many people throw away or misplace, can now all be stored virtually and in one convenient plac e to be accessed when needed. The remotion of expired coupons could also be automated.The opportunities for marketing in this space are vast, and we have only scratched the surface.