How To Run A Successful Grocery Store

In an era where automation and less human interaction seem to take precedence, a hands-on approach with some foresight might be the selling point you need to run your grocery store successfully.

Forget about competition for a minute: what do your customers need? What do your employees need? Why are companies like Walmart thriving while JCPenney stumbles
? What does it really take to run a grocery store?

Answers to these questions only prepare you for the basic needs of running successful grocery store operations. Ultimately, there’s more to running a store than meets the eye, and we are here to simplify the entire process with tips that will work in 2022 and beyond. Let’s dive in.


Go Digital And Automate Processes

While this sounds counterproductive to enhancing human interaction in your grocery store, you should first consider ways to improve the efficiency of your grocery store operations. The more efficient you are, the faster you achieve your goals, be it increasing sales, profits, or merely meeting customer demand.

So, how does automation and digital implementation
 make your business operations more efficient? Technology! Automation technology features speed up time-consuming manual tasks like managing your data workflows and processes.

For instance, where you’d spend an entire day taking stock of new inventory in your grocery stock, now you can use stocktaking apps like Erply’s to reduce that time by half. Another example is the incorporation of robotics to automate processes like placing items on the shelf.

The time saved can then be used for other tasks like competitor and market trend research to help you stay competitive by creating a pleasing shopping experience for your customers. For instance, create an app for your stores that allows customers to place and set their orders aside online but for pickup at a specific time from your brick-and-mortar store.

Make the app better by providing a view of online Ads and having a roadmap for all the in-store specials. Employees can use the rest of their time to manage these orders. Automation might also mean less need for manual labor, thus, boosting your bottom line.

Using technology to automate your processes is the best way your independent store will compete with the
most successful grocery store

chains
like Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, etc.


Take Advantage Of Business Data

Data provides you with insight you then use to make strategic decisions that improve your overall business operations. As an example, use customer data to understand their purchase behaviors and patterns, then use that data to forecast staffing requirements for busy shopping times
.

According to research, the weekdays’ busiest time at the grocery stores is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. On weekends, the stores get busy a bit earlier, with traffic peaking betweennoon and 3 p.m.
Nonetheless, use your data to get a unique overview of your grocery store movements.

To maximize efficiency, track employees with the highest working hours and strategically give them shifts at peak or rush hours. Optimize the staff schedule to ensure you have no work shortages.

Instead, have the correct number of employees at the right time and place to reduce customer wait times. Knowing how to analyze data and use its insights will help you make the best staffing and operation decisions.


Empower Your Employees

Like it or not, your employees are at the forefront of your grocery store operations. They offer the “human element” to every customer who walks in your brick-and-mortar store or calls your customer support line.

Therefore, it is imperative to empower them by giving them policies and product knowledge, sales skills, and customer satisfaction mindsets
. The more informed and empowered your employees feel, the likelier they are to assist customers, offer excellent customer service, and personalize the shopping experience.


Customize Store Layout

There’s nothing wrong with your traditional store layout where meat and produce are arranged along the perimeter with dry goods at the center. However
, your layout must
be more creative to be a successful grocery store.

An innovative store layout can increase sales if you strategically encourage customers to move collectively and influence their buying behavior. Aisles, for instance, are not just for aesthetic purposes, as the product arrangement and placement also matter.

Customers are likely to pick products because they saw another person pick them, so think critically about your layout. Ensure that your aisles are nice, wide, and full of options. Arrange regular aisles in different formats like Free flow, spine, grid, diagonal, racetrack, herringbone, and varied designs.

Sometimes customers pop in for a few specialty items in independent grocery stores. Make it convenient for them to shop by placing the best-selling items upfront. Also, place discounted or special items at the front or focal point of the store.


Offer Quick Delivery

Research shows that the online customer base is at least 150million shoppers,
and the number keeps growing. To stay competitive, you need a solution that conveniently offers quick delivery to the customers’ doorstep. Besides, delivery done quickly and on time, especially for perishable products, creates customer loyalty
.

This, in turn, increases revenue and sales through marketing channels like referrals. Therefore, use your digital capabilities like the app and website to offer customers easy access to your online grocery list from the comfort of their mobile device. Make the delivery process easy by allowing them to order any time with just a few clicks.


Partner

W

ith Third-Party Logistics Companies

Handling customer deliveries can be expensive, especially for start-up businesses. That shouldn’t hinder you from venturing into the grocery business. Seek to partner with third-party logistics delivery services to reduce costs. Using Third-party logistics companies for deliveries also widens your reach since they go places you typically avoid.


Sell Fresh Produce

Selling fresh produce is integral to a grocery store’s success. You want to assure customers they are getting the best. Besides, fresh produce also creates an exciting and appealing display. So, freshen up your products by cleaning the dirt off the fruits and vegetables before putting them on display.

Use a spray bottle to mist the leafy vegetables to prevent them from wilting. Stay competitive by offering sample tasting days for customers who want to try out various grocery store items like fresh fruits, local dishes, etc. This also gives your customers a taste of the freshness they will purchase.


Operate a Clean Store

First impressions matter, and your store’s cleanliness directly reflects your brand. A store’s cleanliness affects the shopping process by creating a safe and pleasurable shopping experience that promises customer hygiene safety.

Your store’s hygiene and health standards also save you from penalization by the authorities. Therefore, grocers who want to run a successful business must execute hygiene operations precisely
 and maintain cleanliness, including rigorous contactless standard procedures.


Conclusion

There’s no perfect singular strategy for successfully managing a grocery store. Stores differ, and so do the managerial styles. So take your time to reflect on your vision and goals. After that, choose any of the above strategies to help you achieve your operational objectives. Get some inspiration from other stores’ strategies and be flexible enough to accommodate your business’s growth changes.


Where Erply Can Help

Erply simplifies your management process by offering features that optimize your entire grocery store. For instance, Erply data ensures you keep track of customer trends throughout the seasons.

Therefore, you are notified early before your stock runs out, meaning you always have your best sellers stocked. Erply also lets you maintain a clear pipeline for your products regardless of the number of suppliers you have. Nothing is left unattended. Try the 60-day free trial
 to enjoy Erply’s benefits.