3 Simple Steps to Take Your Asian Grocery Store Online

Sweet-spicy flavors, delicious matcha latte, and fresh herbs–there’s a reason why Asian food retailers are so popular. Furthermore, since the start of the pandemic, the demand for multi-ethnic food has been skyrocketing. 

Consequently, big grocery stores hire specialized buyers to cater to the growing segment of ethnic food, adding new flavors and tropical tastes to their shopping baskets. However, many people prefer purchasing their food at smaller retailers, particularly if they also allow for a seamless customer experience. So if Asian grocery retailers rely on digitalization to improve the shopping experience, they will gain a significant advantage over the big supermarket chains.

That’s why we’ve collected three valuable tips to help Asian food retailers improve their customer experience and drive online grocery store sales.

Get Ecommerce on Your Website

Last year, U.S. online grocery sales grew to roughly 40% as American shoppers began to fill their baskets online. By building a comprehensive digital retail program, grocery stores can attract higher quantities of customers and improve customer retention. And, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. Take a look at this case study from Berkley Bowl. The local greengrocer established their eCommerce simple, fast, and efficient. 

To develop a digital eCommerce strategy, you need a webpage with an integrated eCommerce function. Today, you can easily do this with the help of website builders for grocery stores. Website builders support you to set up and design your eCommerce website according to your individual needs. 

Make sure you choose a platform that enables you to build your own branded website, manage inventory, and offers support to market your products, for example, running email marketing campaigns. Check whether they also provide your preferred payment processing, fast-order delivery, and features allowing loyalty points and discount codes. Those features will help you improve your customer experience in the long term. In 2020, 84% of companies that focused on enhancing their customer experience reported an increase in their revenue.

Implement POS Software 

According to Google, 75% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands whose apps allow them to transact purchases quickly and reliably. Point of sale (POS) software can help you streamline your operations and achieve higher speed. POS helps to facilitate seamless ordering, as it transfers information in real-time between the point of sale, your staff, and the product stock. 

Select a sales software that is eCommerce friendly and helps you connect your digital store with your physical store. To achieve integration, you can import your inventory and fully sync your eCommerce with your POS.

POS software can further teach you about your customers and their shopping habits. For example, as an Asian grocery store, you can optimize your stock by offering special discounts on ever-green products, such as bean sprouts and fresh wasabi paste. Moreover, if you want to drive your customer awareness wheel, run promotions on products that have remained undiscovered, like cumin or frozen fish scallops. 

Run Unique Promotional Programs

Let’s take a look at some stats:

1. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, while the possibility of selling to a new client is 5% to 20%. 

2. Further, after receiving a reward, consumers are more likely to: make another purchase (75%), discuss their experience with peers (over 50%) and leave a positive review (over 35%), according to Wirecard.  

3. Lastly, 75% of consumers expect discounts/offers.

Together, these stats show that your marketing team should run grocery store marketing programs that help you attract and retain existing customers. An excellent strategy to make your customers return to you is loyalty programs. Accumulating loyalty points, they can receive free items or get discounts on future purchases.

Lastly, jump on food trends. As people are becoming increasingly educated and aware of the health benefits of food, market-fresh produce will help you attract new customers. Asian stores, such as Hong Phat Food Center, have a range of health-focused products. So why not advertise #superfoods and #healthfoods with promotions and free delivery specials?

As eCommerce thrives and becomes a more significant percentage of overall sales, Asian grocery stores should start taking advantage of this opportunity. By analyzing consumer habits and trends, online grocery stores will drive new sales.