Looking at Online Grocery Shopping From the Supplier' Viewpoint

Life is not easy for suppliers selling their products through a supermarket’s online channel. The tried and tested tactics which work in the physical supermarket are of minimal use.

Online offers no opportunities for eye catching secondary displays designed to capture shopper attention should the brand be missed on shelf. There is no way to sample something new and delicious. Promotions which are visible when the shopper casts his or her eye along a 20 metre shelf are easily missed when confined to a screen measuring 15 inches x 6 or less.  The challenge is particularly acute for impulse products like confectionery, or soft drinks, lines which are probably not on the shopping list but are tempting when spied in store.

Whilst there may be some debate about how big the online channel might become, there is no doubt that it is more buoyant than traditional supermarket shopping, and suppliers are slowly waking up to the fact that this channel needs dedicated resources if they are to get the best out of it. 43% of major multinational suppliers interviewed by the IGD (Institute ofGrocery Distribution) have staff assigned to the online channel at least as part of their role. However just 24% have dedicated people to the channel on a full time basis, and only 10% have tailored the way they sell their products on line.

Without imagination and focus many suppliers resort to money off mechanics to promote their products, which can be expensive, and is at best a short term solution.

The key of course is to understand how shoppers approach online grocery buying and then work out how best to capture their attention. Research company Evolution has found that online shoppers tend to be very single minded and this not surprising given that the main reason to use online is to save time. Only 4% start their shop by browsing various categories, and just 1% start by looking for meal and recipe suggestions. 19% start with the special offers page (although 53% get round to it at some point). 25% shop by keyword (milk, eggs etc) and tend to work from a shopping list. Suppliers may want to explore opportunities on the “favourites” page. This is the first page visited by 44% of shoppers, and around 56% refer to this page at some stage during their shop.

It is becoming clear that a one size fits all approach is unlikely to work online, and that personalisation will become increasingly important. To get the best out of a marketing activity it must be relevant to the needs of individual shoppers, whether they might be one of the 35% who do their weekly shop online, or more likely, one of the 53% who only use online infrequently to do a big shop. Equally, there is little point in featuring a pet food initiative to a non pet owner, or a beer blitz to someone who only drinks wine and spirits. 

Having good shopper research data helps address the challenge of selling on line where space is limited and competition to get noticed is fierce.  It is also critical when negotiating with retailers who will have the last say about the strength, depth and promotional support demanded to feature a particular supplier’s products.