Smart Phones, Smarter Shopping

It's becoming more and more commonplace to see people searching for deals on grocery items via their smartphone or tablet than the traditional printed circulars, and this change could be especially beneficial to private label according to a new report by Brad Edmondson on PLMALive! Printed circulars advertise sales for brand-name products because those brands help pay for the circular itself, but if a consumer goes onto their grocers store app while shopping, they get all the deals in the store, not just the big name brands. The Stop & Shop store app will immediately present offers based on recent purchase history and notify you of savings with their own store brand lines, Guaranteed Value of Simply Enjoy. This is a huge advantage for private label because it will not discriminate brands, and generally private label offers the inexpensive alternative. Another innovative app is the Grocery IQ which scans the barcode of what you want to buy, and then when you pick the store you will shop, it will direct you to aisles where your preferred selections are located. The apps are going to be at almost everyone's fingertips in the near future as the number of smartphone users continues to climb. By April 2012, 50% of cell phone users had a smartphone which was an increase from 33% the previous year. Only one-third of baby boomers and just 10% of people aged 65 and older have smartphones, but as soon as savvy software developers figure out a simple application, it won't be too long before everyone has a smartphone. As more people adapt to using smartphones and tablet technology, everyday responsibilities, like grocery shopping will soon move to these platforms. It offers a great opportunity for store brand items to get even more exposure when consumers look for great value.