Instacart

Camper, the contemporary footwear brand based in Spain, stays true to its tradition of creating unique store experiences for shoppers at each of its locations at its new outpost in Manhattan.   The 650-sq.-ft. store has a minimalist look, and features hardwood oak plank flooring with a satin finish. Oversized photo images provide a bold backdrop for product displays. The lighting is ambient and subdued in order to focus shoppers’ attention on the displays.   

Consumer expectations in retail are changing more rapidly than ever. As e-commerce takes ever-larger shares of retail and redefines customer expectations, retailers are hard at work developing stronger online presences, seamless links between their online and brick-and-mortar offerings, and faster and cheaper delivery to meet rising customer demands.   

Not only was the 2017 Super Bowl a game for the record books, it also drove shoppers to their favorite e-grocers to prep for the big game.   As time-pressed Americans football fans shopped with online grocers for game day necessities, they spent more than $150.18 per order — just a few cents more than the average cart size of all goods purchased on Black Friday, which was $149.68.  

More shoppers are buying groceries online, but a majority are ready to switch grocers in favor of a better online experience.   This is according to the “2017 Grocery eCommerce Forecast,” a report from Unata, which surveyed over 500 U.S. shoppers about online grocery shopping habits, intent and barriers. Details revealed that 31% of U.S. shoppers are likely to order groceries online in 2017, up from 19% of shoppers that bought groceries online in 2016.   

Five grocery tech experts chimed in on the recent report that Amazon is planning a major move into the brick-and-mortar grocery store space, and see the potential for up to 2,000 branded grocery stores over the next 10 years.   

Lowes Foods is the first supermarket retailer to launch an integrated digital coupon solution.   Lowes is using a solution developed by Unata, a provider of one-to-one digital solutions for grocers, and Inmar, a technology and analytics company, which integrates digital coupons directly into the grocer’s e-commerce and e-circular programs.  

A lot of attention has been paid to the impact of mobile wallets in the payment technology arena. However, other technologies are also emerging to make payment, among other shopping activities, easier and more efficient. For example, 1-800-Flowers.com is partnering with Amazon.com to make the digital ordering process (including processing and payment) even easier.  

Publix is joining Costco, Whole Foods and other retailers in providing grocery delivery service through a partnership with Instacart.   Publix announced Wednesday that it would begin its Instacart service in select areas of Miami beginning July 12. Instacart is an e-commerce and delivery service that allows customers to place their grocery orders online and have their items delivered right to their doorsteps. Customers can place orders by visiting www.instacart.com/publix.