Gone are the days when people used to flock to the nearby grocery store to purchase products. With the rapid proliferation of the Internet and smartphones, customers can buy any product online with just a few clicks.
The global online grocery market is expected to soar to $209.28 billion in 2026 with an annual growth rate of 24.80%. The coronavirus pandemic has played a big role in showcasing the importance of ordering groceries online as it provides a lot of convenience, safety, and saves time for the customers.
Physical stores are taking the digital route by converting from brick and mortar to being click and mortar. This will lead to a decrease in the number of departmental stores and supermarkets and a big rise in the number of e-commerce platforms.
Some of the latest trends that a business must consider while developing an On Demand Grocery Delivery App are
- The demand for healthy food – Covid-19 made humans realize the importance of taking care of their physical and mental well-being. Hence, customers want to consume nutritious food to ensure good health through a proper diet. Hence, an online grocery delivery platform has to keep this factor in mind. It can include plant-based foods, organic products, fresh produce, and herbal products. Wellness programs can be integrated by online grocery delivery platforms along with their basic services. Customized meal options can be offered according to the individual tastes and diet of the users. The food products must suit the demands of Millenials who prefer low sugar, less fat, and more fiber.
- The growing usage of automation – Automation involves the digitization of all the business processes based on predefined terms and conditions. It reduces overhead costs by eliminating human intervention. The in-store pickup option by players like Amazon has ensured that customers do not waste their time in the checkout process. Self-service kiosks that offer sensor-based payments for users are also being set up in large numbers to ease the overall buying experience. It ensures fewer queues, increased operational efficiency, and is highly flexible. The usage of robots, driverless vehicles, and drones in the delivery of products will take automation to the next level.
- Rapid changes in supply chain management – Supply chains will have to focus on customizing the user experience, implement self-learning operations by harnessing modern technologies like artificial intelligence, use blockchain technology to increase the level of transparency through distributed ledgers, the usage of the internet of things (IoT) for real-time inventory management, implementing supply chain as a service (ScaaS) for efficient manufacturing, using circular supply chains for decreasing costs, and incorporating advanced energy management systems and using solar-powered vehicles. Walmart China is using blockchain technology for tracking the movement of vegetables and seafood.
- Establishing a mixed working space – Numerous services must be made available for the users at a single access point. While groceries should be the main business, it can include side-on services like takeaway of food, a parking facility, and other essential services. This ensures that users need not visit multiple places to do their shopping tasks.
- Innovative delivery options – It includes delivery executives placing the products directly in the users’ fridge in case they are not present at home. Their activities will be continuously monitored using CCTV cameras. This delivery service has been implemented by Walmart. E-commerce firms are fulfilling order deliveries in 1 hour or 2 hours by establishing their warehouses in places close to manufacturing industries and factories for reducing travel time.
- Voice ordering – As a viable alternative to text messaging, voice-based ordering has increased now as users are utilizing devices like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. It leads to more loyalty among customers. Mixing voice and visual elements as part of the shopping experience for users will be a sureshot hit in the future.
- Subscription-based shopping – Regular purchases made by shoppers can be analyzed by the grocery delivery firms and made into a customized subscription plan. Individual products that are frequently bought can be clubbed together into a list. It leads to simplification in the buying process and saves a lot of time for the users.
- The use of Big Data – Big data provides all the needed information about the product on a real-time basis to the users. It takes data from the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) and shares insights through the use of statistical methods. It can be integrated with different aspects like inventory management, manufacturing, transportation, point of sale (POS) systems, and warehousing facilities.
- Enhancing the quality of loyalty programs – Apart from offering the basic points-based rewards for the shoppers, loyalty programs need to become more personalized by increasing the level of trust through paid membership. It can offer incentives like free delivery of products, organizing special events, access to new products, discounts, and the provision of 24×7 customer support.
Why is Instacart Clone App Development the order of the future?
An Instacart clone app solution provides a lot of flexibility in the delivery of groceries to the users by acting smartly based on the demand and supply conditions in the market. The business model for grocery delivery has changed and it is best to have a hybrid system enabling customers to use either shop in-store or online.
On demand grocery delivery apps will grow stronger in the future and it is best to keep a keen eye on the various innovations that will help businesses to survive in the industry. Adopting the above-mentioned trends will make grocery delivery firms more resilient, competitive, and improve business traction.
