Over the past year Whole Foods has made its Atlanta Flagship store a digital playground. Their view of retail “tech-tainment” has now expanded to include a plethora of digital solutions designed to enhance and complement the shopping experience. They’ve introduced a virtual concierge and several digital screens that share stories about their commitment to local farmers and sustainability. The beer, wine, and cheese sections now include digital displays that include product education, recipes and pairing ideas. They even have a digital mirror that encourages shoppers to strike different poses, which trigger images of recommended health products like vitamins and protein shakes.
At the same time, as shopper marketing experts dig into the Millennial grocery shopping behaviors, it’s becoming more apparent that Millennials see grocery shopping as a chore and are looking for a simple, quick fix for their grocery shopping needs. Too much in-store technology could be deemed as distracting, time-consuming or intrusive.
