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Grocery shopping used to be predictable. But today, it's anything but. What was once a steady, store-driven experience has become a swirling mix of digital discovery, price-checking, cross-channel ordering, and shifting loyalty. If you're a grocer, you're no longer just competing with the store across the street -- you're competing with algorithms, apps, and attention spans.
We believe the grocery journey hasn't just evolved, it's been fundamentally restructured. And it's time for retailers to catch up.
For decades, the grocery model was built on a marketing funnel; simple, sequential, and store-led. But today, the funnel has been replaced by a network; a fragmented ecosystem of digital touchpoints, media influence, and always-on decision-making.
Shoppers might start with a TikTok recipe, pivot to list-building in an app, check prices at multiple retailers, and bounce between in-store, curbside, and third-party delivery -- all in the same week. According to NielsenIQ, 70% of grocery shoppers interact with a digital touchpoint before they ever make a purchase.
There's no single path to purchase anymore. And if retailers aren't visible and valuable at each moment, they risk being skipped entirely.
Traditional loyalty programs focused on discounts and punch cards. But modern loyalty is driven by relevance, trust, and personalized value.
Millennials and Gen Z expect grocery to operate at the speed of their lives. They toggle between brands, private labels, and retailers fluidly. They're loyal to the experience, not the retailer.
That means grocers must deliver consistency, convenience, and contextual value -- whether that's a personalized offer via SMS, a curated recipe carousel in-app, or seamless rewards at checkout.
Grocers aren't just battling each other anymore. C-stores are stepping up foodservice. Mass merchants are dominating curbside. QSRs are stealing stomach share. And third-party platforms like DoorDash and Instacart are reshaping who "owns" the customer.
We hear it all the time: Our biggest competitor isn't another grocer -- it's time, it's choice, it's convenience. Retailers have to stop thinking in terms of trips and start thinking in terms of ecosystems."
The solution isn't to build more point solutions. It's to build a connected experience, one that meets customers wherever they are, not just at the register.
The rise of retail media and AI isn't just a shiny new trend. It's the foundation for how retailers will compete going forward.