Nearly half of respondents to a global Nielsen survey say grocery shopping is something they try to spend as little time as possible doing.
The Nielsen ‘Global Retail Growth Strategies Survey’ polled more than 30,000 online respondents in 61 countries to gain understanding of the pain and the pleasure points about the shopping experience. The results show many consumers believe retailers don’t understand or deliver on their needs.
Forty-nine per cent of global respondents believe their main grocery retailer always or mostly communicates with them in a relevant way, with 53 per cent believing retailers always or mostly understand their grocery requirement and 52 per cent believing retailers provide offers they like and value.
Nielsen says the way to stay relevant and connected to ever-changing consumer demand is to find pockets of unsatisfied demand and provide the products and services that will keep consumers satisfied and coming back.
Globally, the in-store services most widely available and used are convenient options that cater to on-the-go lifestyles.
Forty-two per cent of global respondents say they use in-store banking services, with 40 per cent using fast-food services, 40 per cent prepared-food services and 39 per cent pharmacy services. About one-fifth of the consumers polled say they would use these services if they were available.
Other, less widely available or used services such as cooking classes (17 per cent), health clinics (27 per cent), beauty care (27 per cent) and postal services (29 per cent) have strong potential. About one in four respondents say they would use these services if they were available.
“Offering multiple functions under one roof is smart, as the addition of new in-store services may help draw consumers in, prolong their time spent in-store and encourage repeat visits, particularly as the role of physical store evolves,” Nielsen Global President of Retail Steve Matthesen said. “Additionally, they may help retailers maximise returns on their real-estate investments as they will likely have excess square metres. In some cases, however, it may be better for retailers to partner with an expert to provide these services, rather than try to do it themselves.”