New design eases online shopping
E-commerce is projected to continue its acceleration in 2022, with Insider Intelligence reporting online grocery sales likely will surpass $100 billion.
Tech advancements and e-commerce growth have changed the way shoppers behave when making purchases. In a Google study, researchers found that as page load time increases, revenue drops. The company then introduced a new solution in 2015 called “Progressive Web Applications.”
Boone, North Carolina-based ECRS now has this feature, which it says gives grocers control in various facets of the consumer experience.
CATAPULT WebCart, ECRS’ e-commerce solution, has been redesigned for mobile as a Progressive Web App, providing a list of benefits to shoppers.
“The new design makes it easier than ever for customers to shop online. Specifically, it improves login, item search, list building and checkout flow functionality,” said Pete Catoe, ECRS founder and CEO.
CATAPULT WebCart is a “revolutionary click-and-collect solution that allows brick and mortar stores to step seamlessly into the digital realm, without giving up their fundamental rights,” according to the company’s website.
A Progressive Web App is still considered a website with added benefits, according to SimiCart Blog.
“[PWAs] just look and feel like an app, thanks to modern web technology,” the post reads. “This means users will browse Progressive Web Apps on their browser with a URL just like they do any website, but right after they land on the PWA, they get the experience of using an ‘app’ right on their browser, without the need to download and install.”
According to an article from StoreHippo.com, PWA websites require a fraction of the space on mobile devices when compared to apps.
“Since there is no need to download the app, customers prefer it over bulky apps that take up space on their devices,” it states.
“Progressive Web Apps provide you with a unique opportunity to deliver a web experience your users will love,” according to an article from web.dev. “Using the latest web features to bring enhanced capabilities and reliability, Progressive Web Apps allow what you build to be installed by anyone, anywhere, on any device with a single codebase.”
Caroline Catoe, SVP at ECRS, mentioned that if retailers are using CATAPULT Retail POS, then CATAPULT WebCart will only enhance the experience for shoppers.
“The biggest obvious choice is that if you’re already using CATAPULT [Retail POS] within your retail establishment, you’re going to have a cohesive experience on the web or on mobile,” she said.
Another draw for retail grocers is the fact they will have their store brand at the forefront, rather than having the third-party branding dominate the platform.
“There’s certainly the option to go with some of these third parties that are going to put their brand first,” Caroline Catoe said. “But our fear for an independent retailer is that in the long term what’s to stop a customer from picking, say Kroger, over your local retailer if they’re both located in the same location?”
With CATAPULT WebCart, grocers have:
- A transactional solution that unifies the point of sale, self-checkout and web-ordering components into one native platform.
- Uninterrupted communication between point of sale and the WebCart platform to ensure inventory data at physical locations and the e-commerce platform are always in sync.
- Branding control over color scheme, graphics, ads, promotions and menu preferences to keep a consistent brand image.
- A product recommendation system that helps shoppers find relevant products without extensive research, recommending products to purchase based on shopping habits.
- Additional features such as multiple order types, curated item groups, made-to-order capabilities and a proprietary picking platform for efficiency.
With the latest redesign, CATAPULT WebCart serves as a more functional PWA and also meets accessibility standards and incorporates industry best practices for an intuitive user experience.
Robert Roark, ECRS professional services specialist, said the move to a PWA means that retailers of all sizes can offer consumers a branded mobile experience from their device’s home screen.
“With a mobile-first design and the installable nature of PWAs, consumers get the ‘app’ look and feel while retailers get an out-of-the-box offering without the custom development overhead,” he explained.
“Better yet, CATAPULT WebCart is all backed by the transactional logic and data from CATAPULT, which offers quick changes to their online store without resubmitting data to the app store.”
CATAPULT WebCart offers a Fast-Track program which can be implemented in about three days. During the high demand period within the pandemic, the average onboarding time was seven to 10 days.
Caroline Catoe mentioned a major goal with CATAPULT WebCart is delivery.
“We’re working with a couple of major delivery providers and looking to have an integration to at least one of them in that first quarter so that retailers have that option to do delivery,” she said.
Content creator Eric Pereira contributed to this article.
