"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the grocer to the housewife

3) Plan for the unplanned
Shopping at a kirana or on the phone is still largely done by the 'list'. Self-service and walk-throughs, by their very nature, encourage the unplanned additions. Stroll through the aisles and you invariably end up picking up more than what you had originally planned for! 58 per cent of predominantly modern trade shoppers either disagreed that they stuck to a fixed shopping list or said it did not matter. Parallelly, 72 per cent of them agreed that they liked to browse around and add unplanned items to their shopping basket. The same question when asked to 'kirana' shoppers revealed different responses. Over 85 per cent of them plan their shopping list in advance and adding unplanned items is not too common. Modern retailers have already learnt these lessons and thus strategically place impulse buying and low-value items near the Check-out counters or in highly visible gondolas near popular aisles. The trolleys they provide also invariably facilitate more browsing than shopping baskets and the large-format stores enable easy walk-throughs.

4) The sky is the limit on deals
Customers are now getting used to feeling cheated if they do not get a deal. Some of the respondents commented that modern retail has spoilt us with offers of 'Buy two Tropicana packs - get one free' or 'Buy two kilograms of Daawat basmati rice for the price of 1' or 'Buy Heinz ketchup and get Top Ramen noodles free'. What is more, deals get changed every week giving the customer something to look forward to - giving them a reason to return. Once a month grocery shopping is no longer the norm - once a week is more common practice among most of the respondents. The Cartesian study showed that 64 per cent of the customers consciously look for deals and discounts while shopping for grocery.

5) The here and now matters more than the future
Instant gratification is the need of the hour. 52 per cent of the respondents look for instant rewards, deals and offers while shopping against accumulation of points. And this seems to be the same for all age groups. However, it is also a fact that the housewives do value their grocery 'loyalty card' that they flash at the check out counter to earn points and get special recognition. Apart from the points and redemptions, they want good offers, deals on-the-spot and pleasant surprises that make them feel they have done 'smart shopping'.

6) Ambience and comfort are hygiene
Air-conditioned shopping with comfort and clean, spacious surroundings are expected by 72 per cent of modern trade shoppers, and 50 per cent of kirana shoppers agreed with this. Interesting to note that the remaining 50 per cent of the kirana shoppers did not disagree with the statement, rather they believe it does not matter either way!

7) Grocery shopping is an experience - not a chore
40 per cent of the respondents agreed that they spend more time on grocery shopping today than they did 6 months ago. No longer is it a chore that replenishes household stocks every week or month. Modern retail has ensured that is has become an outing that is looked forward to and an experience that can be enjoyed. Grocery shopping has virtually become a voyage of discovery. Every other day something new is offered - new products, new flavours, new deals and new promotions. The only thing the housewives need to prove is that they have earned the most value out of their money. And this is a phenomenon across the board - regardless of income levels.

What is missing?
Perhaps the only thing that is missing in this new format shopping is the personal touch. Where the local kirana knows the housewives by name and address, greets them with the familiarity bred from years of custom and keeps tabs on what exactly their household consumes, to the large format store they become faceless customers or mere 'card numbers'. The quicker that such outlets leverage the power of technology to incorporate the power of the personal touch, the faster they will be able to grow. With automated billing systems already in place, all it requires is intelligent analytics of the transaction data, training of the staff at all levels - especially customer-facing, and a vision to ensure that the customers get the best of both worlds.

-Courtesy: Cartesian Consulting
(Cartesian Consulting is committed to bringing precision to marketers' efforts through its loyalty and analytics practices. Visit http://www.cartesianconsulting.com for more info.)