By: Annetta Gunawan

 

Picture this: You’re scrolling through a grocery app during lunch break, adding items to your cart. Later, you swing by the store to pick them up—but first, you quickly compare prices on your phone. Sound familiar?

Welcome to the new world of grocery shopping, where the line between online and offline is disappearing. And here’s the shocking truth: your habits are forcing supermarkets to completely reinvent themselves.

The Death of “Just Popping to the Store”

Remember when grocery shopping meant a weekly trip to the nearest supermarket? Those days are gone. Thanks to smartphones and a little push from the pandemic, Indonesians have become hybrid shopping ninjas:

  • 73% now research groceries online before buying
  • 68% use multiple channels (app + store + delivery) in a single purchase
  • The average shopper checks 3+ platforms before deciding

“The pandemic didn’t just change shopping—it rewired consumer DNA,” explains retail analyst Brian Garda. “Now, if an app crashes or a store lacks pickup options, customers just move on.”

The 4 Forces Driving the Shopping Revolution

Why are we all becoming so demanding? Researchers identified four key motivations:

  1. The Price Hunter
    • Compares prices across 5+ apps
    • Will walk out if the in-store price doesn’t match online
  2. The Time Savior
    • Uses “click-and-collect” to skip lines
    • Loves stores with digital shelf tags showing real-time prices
  3. The Info Junkie
    • Reads 7+ reviews before buying new products
    • Scans QR codes for ingredient details
  4. The Experience Seeker
    • Enjoys scan-and-go tech (no cashiers!)
    • Chooses stores with Instagrammable displays

The Loyalty Game-Changer

Here’s what keeps retailers up at night: Omnichannel shoppers are 3x more loyal—but only if you nail the experience.

Winning examples:

  • HappyFresh’s “Flash Sale Alerts” when you’re near a partner store
  • Super Indo’s app that shows exact aisle locations for items
  • GrabMart’s “Buy Again” feature with one-touch reordering

“Loyalty used to mean stamp cards,” says marketing expert Siti Jahroh. “Now it’s about recognizing me across every screen and store.“

The Supermarket of the Future (Coming Soon!)

What’s next in Indonesia’s grocery revolution?

🛒 Smart Carts that tally your total as you shop
📱 Augmented Reality to visualize products in your home
🚗 Automatic Replenishment when your fridge detects low milk

But here’s the catch: 1 in 3 retailers still can’t sync their online and offline inventories. Those who fail to adapt risk becoming the next “Blockbuster of groceries.”

What This Means For You

As shoppers, we’ve never had more power:
✅ Demand price-matching across channels
✅ Choose retailers with seamless returns (online to store)
✅ Support brands that personalize your experience

The verdict? How you shop today determines what stores will look like tomorrow. So keep being picky—it’s forcing the industry to be better.

 

Reference:

CROSS-CHANNEL BEHAVIOR ANTECEDENTS IN INFLUENCING LOYALTY AMONG OMNICHANNEL GROCERY CUSTOMERS, (Annetta Gunawan, Ujang Sumarwan, Lilik Noor Yuliati, Siti Jahroh), ICIC Express Letters, Volume 17, Number 8, August 2023