TECHNOLOGY OUTLOOK Food: Bet in and Boost Online Sales By Violeta Montes de Oca eople are more interested in buying food online, but is GROCERIES, HEALTH AND the grocery market ready for this? CONVENIENCE According to Nielsen, the omnichannel retail 吀栀e rise of e-commerce and online shopping has led to landscape is signi昀椀cantly shifting in 2024. In 2023, increased competition for digital shelf space among Fast- online sales surpassed in-store sales by nearly three Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands. Healthy eating is Ptimes the rate. Online sales increased by 11% and now a permanent shift in consumer behavior, and supporting accounted for 17.3% of total sales, while in-store sales only grew shoppers on their nutritional journeys is crucial. Online by 4%. 吀栀e food sector presents the greatest opportunity for shopping continues to grow, especially in categories like online sales growth. However, the online grocery market is grocery and personal care, where convenience and variety are still behind other categories.. key factors in purchasing decisions. STORES ARE SHRINKING SUSTAINABILITY According with NIQ, the traditional stores are shrinking. Consumers are increasingly interested in sustainability, with From 2009 to 2022, square footage in supercenters (-5%), 95% making an e昀昀ort to live more sustainably. 吀栀e grocery supermarkets (-3.5%), dollar stores (-0.4%), and drug stores industry has an opportunity to align their products and (-13.3%) has decreased. marketing with this demand. However, 26% of shoppers need E-commerce sales made up 15.6% of total US sales in the help 昀椀nding sustainable products online. third quarter of 2023, signifying rapid growth and changing consumer expectations. PROMOTIONS Grocery brands should also consider their omnichannel OMNISHOPPING shoppers when planning out promotions. Customers need 吀栀e growth of e-commerce is tied to the rise of Omni a reason to interact with both physical and online purchase shopping. In the US, 86% of Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) paths. If the promotion only targets one channel, retailers may dollar sales are from “omnichannel shoppers.” 吀栀is means miss out on sales in another. However, it is also essential to consumers are buying CPG products through every channel, identify the omnichannel split and determine which consumers often at the same time. More than one in 昀椀ve (22%) shoppers are the most likely to give the best bene昀椀ts from a promotion. now plan an in-store shopping trip combined with a prior If all online sales occur on promotion, there may be an issue. online order. 2424 JJUULLYY//AAUUGGUUSST 2T 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM