What We Learned at Groceryshop: Technology, Flexibility, and Customer-Centric Strategies 

At this year’s Groceryshop conference, industry leaders shared valuable insights into how technology, customer engagement, and evolving trends are shaping the future of retail.  

Here are some of the key takeaways from the sessions: 

Remove Friction with Technology

Technology is transforming a customer’s experience. Sam’s Club talked about its focus on using innovation to remove friction and make shopping more convenient for its members. The rapid scaling of the “Scan & Go” feature is just one example of how technology is paving the way for the future.  

💡 Digitally engaged members spend 3x more.  

And digital interactions provide valuable insights, allowing the retailer to personalize service and deepen customer relationships. Half of Sam’s Club members are now digitally engaged, highlighting the impact of tech-driven convenience. 

Tailor Your Strategy to Customer Needs

Retailers must embrace flexibility across different store locations and customer segments.  

Meeting customers where they are, with the right assortment and strategy, is key to staying competitive. “Doing the same thing across all stores is a mistake,” the chief operating officer of Heritage Grocers Group noted.

32% of shoppers aren’t actively looking for deals, which means grocers must get creative in finding and enticing them. By leveraging data-driven decisions and personalizing engagement strategies, retailers can tap into this segment and drive higher value. It’s proven that digitally engaged shoppers spend more on average, so investing in digital infrastructure, smart pricing, and personalized communication can significantly boost engagement and revenue.

Health and Wellness

Thrive Market highlighted the importance of making shopping easy and accessible, especially when it comes to health and wellness products. The demand for protein is on the rise. Moms are looking for snack-sized but nutritious products. On the beauty side, consumers are shifting from collagen to colostrum. Regardless of consumers’ definitions of health—Thrive Market aims to provide a wide assortment that caters to different shopper preferences. Their mission remains clear: making healthy food and wellness products available to all. 

Retail Media

The retail media industry is experiencing rapid growth. Coresight Research estimates that the US retail media market will grow to $106.4 billion by 2028, up from $46.3 billion in 2023.  

For grocers, retail media represents a significant margin opportunity, and for brands, understanding how to maximize return on investment in this space will be key to their success. 

As retail media becomes an integral part of digital strategy, expect to see more investment in personalized advertising and data-driven marketing to capture shopper attention both online and in-store. 

Resilient, Efficient Businesses 

As grocery retailers face volatile consumer demand, labor challenges, and rising theft, industry leaders stressed the need for agility. Staying competitive amidst these pressures is a true challenge. Mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships are creating new dynamics in the industry, with retailers looking for ways to optimize operations and scale AI applications to improve profitability.