Notes and Thoughts on Grocery 2.0

We are so excited to learn that two of our partner-retailers, Consentino’s and ShopRite will be honored at the NGA Grocers Awards Reception in February.Progressive Grocer has named ShopRite “Outstanding Regional Retailer” and Consentino’s “Outstanding Community-Based Retailer!”

As the nation prepares to celebrate its 388^th Thanksgiving, shoppers are sticking to traditional fare at the grocery store, according to Vermont-based MyWebGrocer.  Time-honored fare is topping shopping lists across the country, even as shoppers are increasingly planning their menus online or on mobile devices.

“The way people are shopping this Thanksgiving differs from years past. They’re making lists on their iPhones, shopping online circulars, and printing out coupons from home more than ever,” said Rebecca Roose, MyWebGrocer’s Social Media Manager. “But when it comes to the menu, they are sticking with tradition. It’s an interesting convergence of old and new.”

Not surprisingly, turkey tops the list of most sought-after grocery items this month, beating out the typical monthly leader, milk, by 74%. Searches for turkey increased 569% compared to October. Stuffing, that starchy staple so integral to any well-rounded Thanksgiving menu, saw a huge boost in popularity this month, rising 942%, as did yams, which rose 502%.

“Convenience is key for shoppers in the Digital Age,” says Roose. “But don’t mess with the menu! You can plan your Thanksgiving feast online, but be sure you have pumpkin pie on the list!”

The ability to shop for groceries online is life-changing, according to Nicki, a loyal Buehler’s eCommerce customer and die-hard online grocery fan. With two small children to care for, she says she likes to shop for groceries online, once her kids are in bed. Nicki says she shops the weekly sales circular and uses a master list to save time and money.

Hear this busy mom tell us, in her own words, how MyWebGrocer and Buehler’s OGS services help her maintain her sanity! Thanks for the great review, Nicki!

MyWebGrocer Media connected with more than 2.7 million unique users in September, making it the single largest online grocery destination, according to comScore’s data. The rapidly growing ad network has more than doubled in size in the past year.*

The Largest Online Grocery Audience

The Nielsen Company recently reported** that, in July of 2009, more than 13 million U.S. Internet users visited a grocery site. With 2.7 unique monthly users, MyWebGrocer Media represents the web’s largest online grocery audience, roughly 21% of the online grocery population.  MyWebGrocer Media is a top destination among online food enthusiasts, with more unique monthly visitors than both Yahoo! Food and Epicurious.com, as measured by comScore.

Active and Engaged Users

Not only is MyWebGrocer Media’s audience big, its users are highly engaged. The average MyWebGrocer shopper spends 11.9 minutes on the network and views 28 pages of content (October 2009).

“Consumers in our network are highly engaged and purchase-motivated,” said Alec Newcomb, EVP, MyWebGrocer.  “By the time they arrive at one of our 90 grocery retail sites, they are cementing their grocery purchase decisions. They are creating shopping lists that will be printed out and taken with them to the grocery store, or increasingly, completing their purchase online and picking them up,” Newcomb adds.

Driving Results for CPG Brands

Over 60 CPG Advertisers agree that MyWebGrocer Media is a highly effective way to reach consumers including leading brands: “Kellogg’s online advertising with MyWebGrocer has shown double digit product sales growth. The ability to track and report sales enables us to test and forecast what works in online grocery.”                 -Kamela Warren, E-Business Manager, Kellogg’s

*MWG media had 1,173,00 unique visitors in Sept. 08 according to comScore Media Builder, and 2,736,000 in Sept. 09 according to comScore Media Metrix – an increase of 133%.

**The Nielsen Company. “Online Grocery Shopping: Ripe Timing for Resurgence.” September 2009

We just stumbled across a great post from a NJ blogger named Valerie who tried OGS for the first time. Thanks, Valerie, for the terrific review…frankly we couldn’t agree more!  She even snapped a great shot of the ShopRite from Home van (right) pulling up outside her house!

Gotta love her list of top reasons she’s an OGS fan…(drum roll please)

Here’s why I think ShopRite At Home rocks:

• I could shop in my pajamas. (I didn’t, but I could.)
• I didn’t have to leave the house to go to the store. No going out in the rain.
• I didn’t have to wait on any lines.
• I didn’t have to load the car with the groceries.
• I didn’t have to unload the car and carry any bags in.
• I didn’t have to nag RB or TJ to carry bags in.
• I got flowers. Well not just me – all first time customers get them.

It’s great to read about how OGS is making this busy mom’s life a bit easier…Thanks, Valerie!

-Alison