At the Groceryshop convention Sept. 21 in Las Vegas, Kroger Co. CIO and SVP Yael Cosset shared the grocer’s strategy and changes in shopping trends.
“We know our customers have different needs based on their daily lives and the question becomes: What, when and how? Our seamless ecosystem brings all of these factors together, without asking the customer to compromise on quality, value or convenience,” Cosset said. “Whether our customers shop for a last-minute dinner, their weekly shop, freshest ingredients at the right price, we provide relevant and personalized experience.”
Cosset revealed a shift in customer behavior as they move away from shopping habits established during the pandemic. Data shows customers navigating comfortably among delivery and pickup to in-store trips, shopping to meet the needs of their day.
He explained Kroger seeks to make the transition from each option as seamless as possible, ensuring convenience of choice and relevance along with Kroger’s promise of the freshest products and incredible value. In that context, Cosset highlighted the importance to not pass on the complexity of building a sustainable model to the customer. The grocer is optimizing its ecosystem, with stores and dedicated fulfillment facilities, bringing value without asking customers to compromise on the experience or shareholders on the economic model.
Cosset views the digital ecosystem as critical to customer satisfaction, combining the proximity of their stores for immediate delivery in as little as 30 minutes and the reliability and efficiency of its dedicated facilities, each contributing to the Kroger seamless experience.
Customer reaction to Boost by Kroger, the latest addition to Kroger loyalty platform has been overwhelmingly positive. This paid membership program can save customers more than $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery. The one-of-a-kind membership and the expansion of the Kroger Delivery Network contributed to growing digital sales in the second quarter.
He also sees the food-at-home trend persisting with the continued desire to share cooking skills learned during the pandemic and make meals at home during the inflationary environment. Customers are making memorable meal experiences engaging with Kroger’s Our Brands products, choosing to make a Murray’s Cheese board and have a nice bottle of wine as a special treat whether they shop in the stores, with pickup or delivery and taking advantage of personalized experience and digital offers.
Groceryshop brings together more than 4,000 leaders from an array of established and startup CPG brands, supermarkets, c-stores, drug stores, general merchandise stores, discount stores, e-commerce players, warehouse clubs, grocerants and non-traditional grocery retailers.
For more information, visit thekrogerco.com.
