Online grocery shopping isn’t just growing—it’s becoming the way people buy their essentials. By 2026, grocery is expected to be the largest ecommerce category. That means the competition to keep customers coming back is tougher than ever.
So, how do you build loyalty in a space where convenience is everything? It comes down to three key strategies: personalization, a seamless omnichannel experience, and making fulfillment as easy as possible.
Personalization: Give shoppers a reason to stay
Grocery customers are savvy. 83% of shoppers research online before making a purchase, even if they end up buying in-store. They’re looking for the best deals, their favorite brands, and an experience that feels tailored to them.
Ways to make shopping feel personal:
- Use AI-powered recommendations to suggest products based on past purchases.
- Offer exclusive digital deals—customized discounts keep shoppers engaged and increase repeat orders.
- Feature top promotions on your homepage to catch attention and drive sales. H Mart, for example, uses smart promotions to manage demand for heavy items like 40-pound bags of rice. Their strategy helps keep costs under control while making sure customers still get great deals. “The VTEX promotions engine allows us to balance customer incentives with business realities,” said Vince Colatriano, Executive Vice President at H Mart.
Omnichannel shopping: Make the experience seamless
Shoppers expect flexibility. 70% of online grocery customers say that Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) improves their shopping experience. Whether they’re picking up on the way home or browsing on their phones, everything should feel connected.
How to make omnichannel work for you:
- Show real-time inventory so customers know exactly what’s available at their local store.
- Make loyalty rewards work everywhere—online, in-store, and even through mobile apps.
- Turn your stores into fulfillment hubs to speed up orders and reduce delivery times. Carrefour is a great example. When they overhauled their ecommerce operations with VTEX, they saw a 30% jump in online conversions and a 168% increase in customer satisfaction (NPS) because they made shopping feel effortless across all channels.
Convenience and fulfillment: Get groceries to customers faster
Speed matters. 46% of shoppers say they choose where to shop based on same-day delivery or immediate pickup. If they can’t get what they need fast, they’ll look elsewhere.
Ways to keep fulfillment efficient and profitable:
- Invest in micro-fulfillment centers to pack and ship orders faster.
- Use AI to optimize picking routes so employees can grab items quickly and accurately.
- Expand product assortment with a marketplace model—more variety without the inventory risk. H Mart has mastered this approach by combining automated fulfillment centers and smart order routing. “Our highly automated warehouse picking system allows us to quadruple the number of orders we can fulfill, delivering to a 50-mile radius in our densest market,” explained Colatriano.
The bottom line: Keep it simple, smart, and seamless
The best way to build loyalty in online grocery? Make shopping effortless. Personalized deals, an integrated experience across all channels, and smooth fulfillment keep customers coming back.
Want to see how VTEX can help you scale and optimize your grocery operations? Check out our grocery solutions.