Gaining the edge in a new era of grocery

The last two decades have seen seismic disruption in the field of grocery, as growing consumer expectations and creative innovations have given rise to wholly new shopping experiences. The lockdowns of 2020 accentuated trends which were already well underway – increased demands for online options with ultra-quick delivery and reliable availability of products at competitive prices – no matter what. How are grocers gaining the agility to meet these challenges, reinforcing their roles at the heart of communities? By putting digital at their core.

A digital core gives grocers the agility they need to compete in the new reality. From long-term planning to real-time fulfillment, digital is changing the game. Supply chains have become orders of magnitude more complex than at the turn of the millennium; in fact, supply network may be a more accurate term. These networks extend around the globe and throughout local communities, making it possible to offer a variety of fresh and exotic international and local products, at the same time. And these networks must be resilient like never before. While global shocks are nothing new, what is new is the range of options available to customers. If one store doesn’t carry an item, customers will find it elsewhere. The ability to maintain intricate, customer-centric value chains that adapt at a moment’s notice is a crucial differentiator, made possible by putting digital at the heart of operations.

In addition to enhanced supply chains, a digital core enables multiple other advances:

Be truly customer-centric – Place customers at the center of every decision taken across the value chain to enable tailored assortments, pricing, promotions, and seamless connected commerce interactions.
Serve the ‘segment of one’- Build a reputation through digital capabilities and value-adding services for being able to quickly meet the unique needs of every single customer, meaning promotions can be driven by value to their specific needs and wants, rather than volume or discounting.
Redefine the store – Empower in-store teams to rapidly create innovative, personalized, high value touchpoints to drive customer loyalty and interactivity.
Develop new, more sustainable, business models – Leverage deep insights around why customers buy to create more personalized engagement – meal plan recommendations etc. – to expand offerings beyond just selling individual products.

Capgemini delivers these advances with RetailPath: an SAP-certified pre-configured solution which allows clients to accelerate value realization while keeping costs in check. For grocers interested in providing truly customer-adaptive options, RetailPath is a powerful solution.

In the new era of grocery, some needs are universal – enhanced agility, supply chain resilience and more personalized customer experience, to name a few. Individual grocers also have their own personal needs, based around their locations, customer makeup, offers and multiple details gained through long experience. Retailpath has the scope to meet all of these requirements, accenting individual strengths and making the concept of customer-adaptive grocery a reality. The capabilities made available are purpose-built to help retailers break down silos, embrace dynamic fulfillment, pricing and promotions, while ensuring predictive customer insights stay at the center of every activity.

To learn more about the challenges facing grocery and the advanced capabilities of our Digital Core Solution, read our Point of View: Digital Core for Grocery or connect with our experts directly.