Summer is a symphony for the senses – the feeling of sand on your toes, hearing the ice cream truck come down the street, smelling charcoal on the barbecue, tasting a juicy slice of watermelon. And after a long year and a half, many of us are seeing the world in a way we haven’t for a long time – out from behind a screen and in the company of friends and family!
It’s no surprise that consumers are eagerly planning in-person get-togethers now that the CDC has approved such gatherings for a large population of Americans. And people are ready to enjoy: 46% of Americans say they’re excited to host and entertain guests in their homes. For independent grocers, now is the time to capitalize on those larger gatherings and give customers what they need to feed a crowd. The makings of a sourdough starter is out – party platters and side dishes are in!
Here are three ways independents can use their online store and digital merchandising to influence higher basket size this summer:
Grab their attention with eye catching visuals
Your ecommerce site should delight your online customers as if they were in your store, and there’s no better way to do that than through vibrant, mouth-watering images. There are few things harder to resist when you’re grocery shopping than images of delicious looking meals!
Use digital merchandising features to splash the products your customers are looking for right as they arrive on your site. This delivers convenience and invites them to consider products they may not have on their shopping list. Now with two more opportunities to showcase ingredients for recipes or the fixins for a Saturday night party, use Rosie’s Hero carousel feature to direct customers to what they really want.
Feed the whole family
Typically the more people customers are feeding, the higher the basket size. But when you’re also selling them high margin items like sandwich trays and fruit platters that come fresh and prepared, your customers are spending more alongside their typical groceries. These prepared foods are even more enticing to customers when you give them the opportunity to fully customize each aspect of their order, from accompanying side dishes to their choice of deli meat. Let your customers run wild with options and give them the convenience to do it all online to ensure they choose to order with you instead of their usual restaurant carry out.
Suggest the items they might be forgetting
After months of cold weather and indoor living, some of us are just getting back out there again. But there’s nothing worse than buying the chips and then forgetting the dip, or serving popsicles to all the kids on the block without bringing napkins. With retailer-controlled digital end caps, you can handpick the products that naturally fit together into a collection so your customers never forget what they need.
Not to mention, suggesting additional products is a surefire way to grow basket size as customers remember items they forgot on their lists or make impulse buys. Remind them they don’t need to make a special trip to get beer by adding it to your BBQ essentials Collection, or nudge them to go with the mild and spicy salsas.
With a little creativity and the right merchandising tools, it’s possible to curate a quintessential summer shopping experience all online. Reap the benefits of higher basket sizes as customers order your high margin items and stock up on everything their party guests could possibly need. Your customers have been depending on you to feed their families throughout the pandemic – use that loyalty and trust to give them a summer to remember.
To add digital merchandising features or the ability to sell your signature prepared foods to your ecommerce site, reach out to our team at feedback@rosieapp.com.
