Last updated on March 21st, 2021
A 2021 Facebook survey of more than 300 shoppers, focused specifically on targeting women and parents age 27-45, reveals that 96 percent of shoppers believe antimicrobial conveyor belts should be a “basic standard” for grocery stores. In addition, 88 percent said they were “very” or “somewhat concerned” about touching standard black conveyor belts at checkout.
In mid-2020, Nick Mercurio, EVP of market research company Ipsos, said about grocery stores, “The ability to deliver on health and safety efforts is now the most important aspect of the customer experience and it will be for some time.”
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, antimicrobial conveyor belt covers have been installed at checkouts at Albertsons, Ahold Delhaize, Cub Foods, Redner’s, Coborn’s, Weis Markets, Giant Eagle and Kroger. These grocers have recognized new shopper expectations for clean checkouts that have been reinforced by the results of the recent online survey.
At MessageWrap, CEO Nathan Vanderploeg said he was not surprised to see the shopper data.
“We’ve always known that checkout cleanliness is a top priority for shoppers. That’s why from the beginning we made MessageWrap conveyor belt covers not only beautiful but exceptionally clean thanks to our antimicrobial coating. Now, the data shows, our MessageWrap antimicrobial covers aren’t a checkout nice-to-have, they are considered a clean store must-have by every shopper.”
In fact, 78 percent of shoppers said having MessageWrap antimicrobial conveyor belts prove their store “cares about my and my family’s health and their employees,” and 65 percent said their store having MessageWrap antimicrobial conveyor belts would “give them peace of mind.”
Not only do shoppers expect a clean checkout, they are ready to reward the grocery stores that deliver it. Grocery stores that make their shoppers’ health and safety a top priority by adding new cleanliness initiatives like MessageWrap see the results in their bottom line. Shoppers spend 60 percent more in grocery stores with positive in-store experiences like those delivered at checkout by MessageWrap. It is no surprise then that one shopper described having MessageWrap at her grocery store checkout as a “game changer.”
When 97 percent of shoppers surveyed said they would choose a grocery store with an antimicrobial conveyor belt over one with standard black belts, it’s clear that adding MessageWrap to checkout delivers a competitive advantage for grocery stores, the company says. More than 50,000 MessageWrap antimicrobial conveyor belts have already been installed, with one shopper commenting that having MessageWrap in her grocery store makes her “think my family and I are safe and healthy, and I will go to this store often in the future.”
Founded in 2011, MessageWrap features a patented conveyor belt cover with an antimicrobial proven effective in destroying microbes and viruses. MessageWrap transforms the highest touch area in grocery stores into a clean and protected space. Each MessageWrap conveyor belt cover not only ensures checkout cleanliness, but also features customizable store messaging or advertising at checkout.
A Grand Rapids, Michigan-based independently-owned and -operated company, MessageWrap was recently named by the Financial Times as one of the Top 150 Fastest Growing Companies in the Americas. The company is led by founder and President Susan Vanderploeg, a former retail executive, and Vanderploeg.
