WHY IT MATTERS: Digital Transformation

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Grocery is the last frontier for digital disruption, everyone knows (huge market but late adopter of digital, especially eCommerce see http://sco.lt/8ai7W5 http://sco.lt/6q1Ijx http://sco.lt/8Y94vh ).

But no one knows when exactly they'll get disrupted. Many are betting on eCommerce but from the looks of this report, we may see a lot of changes in our weekly trip to the supermarket, from shelf monitoring to augmented reality.

Then again, grocers are pre-historic in their use of technology because of low margins and a very repetitive shopping experience. We mostly always buy the same products and are looking at our store "experience" to be fast with low prices, not so much fun and experiential (see Amazon GO http://sco.lt/8MTY8X where there is no cash register to slow you down still needs to be cheap http://sco.lt/80HuqX).

So my bets are on the startups that enable faster grocery shopping at a low cost- all others I expect will have a hard time (sorry AR and VR startups...)!

Gartner research provides 3 recommendations of digital merchandising.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

Merchandising is the least considered element of the digital eCommerce pillars (others are strategy, marketing, selling, fulfillment and support). This paper reminds us that eCommerce relies on detailed, accurate, and timely information about products because it is what consumers rely on mostly when making buying decisions. It is thus important to include merchandising activities as part of a balanced digital transformation roadmap.