If you’ve ever wondered about grocery app development, how it happens, and how you can get into it, then this article is definitely for you. We live in an age where things are increasingly transported to the digital medium, even something as simple as your groceries!
What Is a Grocery App?
A grocery app, as its name suggests, basically allows people to do their grocery easily by tapping what they need within the app and checking out, just as they would at a regular supermarket or store.
The reason you should look into it, regardless if you’re a large supermarket chain or a small brick-and-mortar grocery store, is that digitalization is the way of the future. In our modern era, convenience is key and if someone gets to choose between shopping in-person or doing their shopping in five minutes through their phone, they’re going to pick the latter, simply because it’s more time-efficient.
Must-Have Features
In this section, we won’t actually be looking at must-haves, as in what basic options you need to have. But, we will cover features that will set you apart from your competitors and give you the advantage.
1. Digital receipt
A huge benefit of having a digital receipt is the ease of use. The customer can scan through it much quicker on their phone and check that everything is in proper working order. This is also a big point of attraction because as we all well know by now, physical paper receipts are hard to keep track of. Most of us simply throw them away about five minutes after exiting the store.
This can make it tricky to go back and check a particular purchase or to get a refund later on. With a digital receipt right there in your grocery shopping app, you no longer have that problem.
2. Exclusive deals and coupons
Who doesn’t like a nifty coupon or an exclusive deal, right? The clients who download the app will be thrilled to get a little notification telling them they can get oranges at half the price, simply because they’ve downloaded the said app. It immediately makes shopping through the app (and specifically, at your store) more convenient than opting for another retailer. It also makes things interesting for the customers, especially if the deals/coupons get updated on a regular basis.
3. Personalized offers
It’s clear to see from all the apps we use that people generally like it when an app tailors its features to their specific needs. It makes them feel noticed and unique, and that’s something your grocery app should be doing if you want to get ahead.
By tracking their grocery shopping behavior (e.g. what brand of milk they prefer, whether they’re more of a fruit person or a veg one, etc.), you can predict what they’d like on their next shopping trip and can make them a personalized offer. In the long term, this will drive conversion, as the customers form a bond with your app.
So what about you? What’s one must-have feature on any good grocery app?
