ShopHero Launches Choice Doorstep to Help Independents Compete with Big Box Grocers
Consumers appreciate the personal attention they receive at their local grocer—often the heart of their community. The pandemic further accelerated interest in staying local with almost 60% of respondents in a Shopify survey indicating they prefer to buy from local businesses.
The last two years also elevated the demand for online shopping which doubled during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, many independent grocers watched their sales siphoned off by Amazon and big box retailers, especially when customers weren’t able to find desired products for at home delivery from their local retailers.
ShopHero, an ecommerce solutions provider for grocery retailers of all sizes, has the answer. ShopHero, founded in 2015 by Matt Garner, is rolling out its latest innovation, Choice Doorstep, which offers independent grocers access to “endless aisle” capabilities and doorstep delivery.
Progressive Grocer talked with Josh Ray, co-founder and chief commercial officer of ShopHero to hear how Choice Doorstep can help grocers keep sales local by offering an assortment on par with the competition.
Progressive Grocer: How does Choice Doorstep work?
Josh Ray: Choice Doorstep provides seamless access to tens of thousands of products, even those not stocked on your shelves, to offer on your website that can be delivered straight to your customers’ homes or businesses. You can capture more of your local shoppers’ wallet share with this extension of your branded website. We help you stay competitive with world class technology, selection and delivery on par with national big box sellers. Independents are free to do what they do best—maintain and strengthen their relationships with their loyal customers.
PG: Grocery margins are already razor thin and grocers face labor shortages. Can Choice Doorstep help build profits without extra costs?
JR: Choice Doorstep allows grocers to increase revenues without any additional overhead. There is no inventory to stock, no delivery or pickups to manage, and no labor to add. Grocers collect a margin on everything that sells through their online store without touching the merchandise.
PG: What if I already have an ecommerce provider?
JR: We can integrate seamlessly with your current ecommerce technology. We have integrations with more than 70 POS systems, loyalty platforms, payment gateways and delivery/fulfillment partners. For those who don’t have a solution yet, we can get you up and running quickly on our worldclass ecommerce solution.
PG: What do you see as the future of omnichannel shopping?
JR: Consumers still like to go to stores, but they appreciate the convenience of online shopping. Online grocery sales grew 54% in 2020 and the trend continues to grow. eMarketer forecasts that by 2023, online grocery sales will comprise 11.2% of total U.S. grocery sales. It is important to make sure your store and your brand is front and center with your shoppers rather than hidden behind an ecommerce vendor’s branding. Data shows that in-store shoppers who start shopping online, called hybrid shoppers, are 200% more valuable than those who only shop in stores. Grocers, already in a time crunch to manage their stores, often don’t have the budgets or bandwidth to keep up with changing shopper demands. That is where we can help.
CONTACT US AT
shophero.com
1.855.361.9525
[email protected]