Contactless Payment Solutions Are Here to Stay at Grocery Stores
The early days of contactless payment solutions may have arisen out of necessity, but ongoing shifts in consumer behavior suggest that this is one convenience that is definitely here to stay.
A contactless solution for grocery store payments and purchases was one of the first shopping trends to really pick up during the early months of the pandemic. And it wasn’t a surprise, considering that grocery shopping isn’t the type of commerce that can afford to slow down—regardless of public safety needs. What did change however was the way that shoppers were buying their groceries, and the way that stores were accommodating.
According to recent reporting from McKinsey & Company, groceries are one of a select number of essentials where growth in online shopping is expected to exceed 35% moving forward. In fact, experts anticipate that the growth of online and contactless purchases for groceries will rise by 41%—second only to over-the-counter medications.
Hidden within these predictions are a few key trends, notably:
- Higher tendencies for online/contactless grocery shopping among millennials and Gen X (and lower tendencies among boomers)
- Significantly higher tendencies for online/contactless grocery shopping among families with an income of $100,000 or more
There’s more to the story though than just an increased need for social distancing. Concurrent trends spurring this shift have revealed that, in general, 75% of consumers have adopted (or at least tried out) new shopping trends since the pandemic started, demonstrating a previously unseen rate of “openness” to trying new brands and retailers. And most intend to continue these behaviors in the future, says the McKinsey & Company report.
What This All Means for Grocery Retailers
There’s no denying that consumer behavior is changing in the grocery space, and fast.
While grocery shopping may have been an activity previously driven in large part by store and brand loyalty, today’s shoppers are looking for value and convenience above all else—which opens up a huge opportunity for grocery retailers who can offer effective contactless payment technology and meet the needs of their buyers.
Some tips to adapt during the transition:
- Capitalize on existing brand loyalty by targeting current customers with outreach that fills them in on contactless payment options
- Send out personalized promotions to encourage the use of contactless payments
- Offer digital receipts for a true start-to-finish contactless payment experience
- Combine contactless payments with seamless curbside communications
- Invest in updating the online shopping experience, designing a more intuitive website that allows consumers to shop with true convenience
Instead of looking at the shift to contactless solutions in the grocery space as a hurdle that you have to climb over, look at it as an opportunity to stand out from your competition and meet the evolving needs of customers. The better job that you can do right now at getting up and running with the sorts of contactless features and services that shoppers are in need of, the better you’ll be able to rise to the occasion and secure your success both now and moving forward.
Work with flexEngage Toward a Contactless Future
Store loyalties are shifting right alongside buying behaviors. Will you come out a winner? Work with flexEngage to create custom contactless and curbside solutions that can help ensure your grocery store is in it for the long haul. From e-receipts to personalized offers, we can help make sure that your store doesn’t just survive the transition—but thrives because of it.
Browse our website to learn more about our innovative solutions for contactless shopping, and contact us today to find out exactly what we can do for your business.