Today’s consumers value efficiency when shopping for groceries — from learning about products to completing their purchases — and they’re looking for a blend of digital and in-store solutions to help make it happen. Thanks to existing and newly emerging shoppable tech, grocery brands have opportunities to engage consumers at every stage of the shopping journey, helping those brands to feed growing appetites for a more convenient grocery shopping experience.
Trends shaping the grocery landscape
Amazon Ads and GlobalWebIndex recently completed a consumer survey to identify the shopping tech that grocery consumers are using now and new and emerging technologies they’re open to using soon. Here are three trends changing the grocery landscape, both in-store and online.
Trend 1: There is a shift toward shoppable tech
According to the Amazon Ads and GlobalWebIndex survey, mobile apps with features like digital coupons, price comparison and shopping lists that assist the in-store experience are currently the most used grocery tech among shoppers between the ages of 18 and 64.1
Shoppable tech is helping grocery brands shrink the funnel between promotion and purchase with clickable advertisements on social media channels, digital coupons and other ads and promotions. These technologies are already helping shoppers identify the brands they want to buy and can help speed up the checkout process.
Looking ahead, 49% of the surveyed grocery shoppers expressed interest in using AI technology (e.g., smart cart enhancements, in-store assistants, predictable shopping) to help them in the future.1
Trend 2: Livestream content is transforming brand engagement
With its livestream content created by influencers, Twitch resonates with its viewers for its authenticity and can help brands build a connection with consumers.
Generation Twitch — young millennials and adult Gen Z members between 18 and 34 — is reaching an age with greater purchasing power. With millions of monthly visitors, Twitch has the potential to change shopping dynamics.
Brands can engage Twitch audiences through Amazon Ads activations that bring creators, communities and brands closer together. For instance, Kraft Heinz Canada introduced six new dinner flavors with its “Bits for Boost” program — the brand’s first streaming store. Kraft organized contests to provide prizes and gifts during Twitch livestreams, which proved appealing to the gaming community — a key audience for the brand.
Trend 3: Screen time is turning into shopping time with clickable TV ads
The Amazon Ads and GlobalWebIndex survey revealed that while only 10% of grocery shoppers between the ages of 18 and 64 made a purchase through a shoppable ad in the last 3 months, 57% are open to it in the future.1 Prime Video and other streaming services can deliver interactive ads that can help align consumers’ television habits with shopping preferences.
Viewers can access deals and offers through their remote control or other devices by scanning displayed QR codes directly linking to purchasing platforms like Amazon.com. Brands can create campaigns with Amazon Ads to reach consumers via the content they will likely watch, helping viewers grocery shop while catching the big game or another favorite program. Thursday Night Football, for example, could be a central place for food and beverage brands to advertise new chips and drink flavors or other party bites.
Connecting with future grocery shoppers
Grocery shopping behavior continues to adapt rapidly, and the survey results forecast further integration through immersive advertising that will empower consumers to shop for and purchase their groceries more efficiently. Brands must be ready to interact with shoppers — adult Gen Z in particular — with multiple touchpoints across platforms to facilitate purchases and foster loyalty.
An omnichannel approach that blends in-person shopping with digital activity can help brands achieve the best results possible. Visit Amazon Ads for more grocery marketing tips and solutions.
1. Amazon Ads and GlobalWebIndex. Custom Survey of Grocery Shoppers. US data. Fielded October 2024 among A18-64 who are the main or joint food shoppers in their households. N=1,000
