10 Supermarket Innovations Shoppers Appreciate Most

Hear what our consumer panel had to say are the most useful supermarket innovations.

SupermarketGuru set out to understand and highlight shoppers’ favorite advances in supermarkets that have made everyday living in America better! The consumer panel shared their thoughts on the most notable supermarket advances they have experienced. Here are 10 of the most popular answer choices: 

1. Self checkout – even with all of the glitches, the consumer panel ranked self checkout as one of their favorite advances in the supermarket; allowing shoppers to take full control of their shopping experience; we will only being seeing more automation in this area going forward.

2. Online ordering (with in-store pickup) – the convenience of having all of your shopping done for you with the ability to pick up in store, and possibly grab a few more items was highly cited by the consumer panel.  

3. Delivery – our lives are getting busier and many consumers are taking less time to shop in a physical store.  With services like instacart, peapod and more, delivery is a no-brainer that your store should offer.

4. High quality prepared food – the prepared foods department selections are heating up, with on trend offerings, healthy choices and superb convenience, shoppers are appreciating and welcoming this “advancement” with open arms.

5. Dietitians/nutrition professionals in store – with so much misinformation but at the same time a greater understanding and desire to eat healthy, shoppers want to make sure they are choosing the right foods. With the help of in store dietitians, shoppers are able to take their meal choices to the next healthy level. 

6. Barcoding for faster checkout – checkout seems to be a sore spot that has experiences many upgrades, one of the most notable is barcoding which allows a much faster and efficient process that shoppers are thankful for.

7. Large good-for-you section, with natural and organic, local - that’s right the interest in healthier, better for your foods is universal and these sections can be found in all types of grocers. With a better understanding of how food affects our body, shoppers want to make sure what they are buying will benefit their health and those that they are shopping for.

8. Store within a store - bank, coffee shop, juice bar, wine bar, pizza, sushi, grocerant – convenience is king and having the added benefit of being able to do your banking, grab some sushi or a drink is not lost on your shoppers. Having these “stores with-in a store” is exciting for consumers and keeps them loyal.

9. Apps, digital marketing, online coupons, website – combine the digital takeover and convenience and it’s no surprise shoppers appreciate being able to access everything from coupons to information about your store online. Make sure your digital content is always up to date and exciting to keep shoppers engaged.

10. Allergen free sections, shelf tags – with the greater awareness of food allergies and sensitivities, allergy free sections and shelf tags throughout the store make it easier for shoppers to know what’s appropriate for their diet. This added convenience makes shopping much easier and pleasant. 

Make sure your store is up to speed on all of these upgrades/innovations; this insider shopper information will help set you apart from your competitors and cultivate more loyal shoppers.