The Future of Grocery: How Millennials are Changing Grocery Shopping Habits

With millennials having overtaken baby boomers as America’s largest demographic, big  changes are already taking place in a number of industries that have remained unchanged for decades. Whether it’s air travel, accommodations or even taxi services, millennials have upended the way we do things in the 21st century. This is no different for the grocery store as we know it. Even though it has remained virtually unchanged for decades, millennials have stepped in and made the modern grocery store adapt to their own needs. While for decades people have become used to pushing their grocery cards down never-ending grocery aisles, millennials have decided that there can be a different, but better way to do things. 

Millennials want to have their groceries delivered - While pushing your cart down a long grocery aisle seemed to be life as we knew it, millennials find little value in this mode of food shopping. Instead, they prefer to patronize grocery delivery services. This helps them avoid spending unnecessary hours shopping. They also appreciate both the convenience and the selection available to them through the online platform. These changes mean that grocery stores may have to consider online ordering options as part of their business model. If not, they risk alienating their younger shoppers.

Click and collect - While having your groceries delivered has its own charm, many times millennials will opt to purchase their groceries online and pick them up at their convenience. This option offers more flexibility than the delivery option and allows individuals with unpredictable hours to pick up their groceries at their own convenience. It also means that ordering groceries online won’t incur additional shipping fees. Click-and-collect services can be a great help for those who wish to pick up their groceries on their way home from work without having to step inside the store. This service could be incorporated alongside the store’s delivery option and would require little infrastructural additions.

Millennials shop using mobile devices - On online platforms, not all shopping is made equal. While millennials do prefer to get their grocery shopping done online, they aren’t likely to accomplish this from a desktop computer. The vast majority will use their mobile devices to purchase groceries since this is the device they are likely to be using anyway. Mobile devices here refer to phones tablets and other connected devices.This is where supermarkets need to be prepared. It’s not enough to set up an online marketplace for your store. It must be optimized for mobile devices. Additionally, it will be a good idea to incorporate product reviews, coupons and a customer loyalty program to keep customers coming back.