The Rise of Grocerant Point of Sale
The grocery industry is a staple in the American retail diet.
It’s always going to have a market. People will always need to buy food.
But the industry is constantly evolving to keep up with customer demand — especially after a pandemic that changed the way buyers shop, particularly when it comes to purchasing food.
From specialty markets to fine dining restaurants, people have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to their next meal.
And now, they can choose the grocerant.
What Is a Grocerant?
Grocerant is a relatively new term for a long-standing concept — a hybrid of a grocery store and restaurant.
It’s not uncommon for grocery stores to sell prepared foods, but grocerants provide more of an in-store dining experience. In addition to the grocery store, they usually have a dining area within or next to the store.
It’s more than a grab-and-go counter — it’s a quick service restaurant in a grocery store.
And opening a brand new grocerant — or amping up your existing store to take advantage of the latest trends — has plenty of benefits. So, what are they?
The 2020 global pandemic significantly changed the way consumers think about (and shop for) food. They expect convenience — but there’s also more of an emphasis on health. Prepared food served in grocery stores is often perceived as healthier and fresher than what is served in most full-service restaurants, and if a shopper can pick up dinner during their grocery store-stop on the way home, they’ll appreciate the convenience.
Even before the pandemic, prepared meals were becoming the new norm. People started spending more money at restaurants than grocery stores, meal delivery kits rose in popularity, and online shopping made a significant impact in the grocery space.
Now, grocery store owners need to stay in the game to get people back in their stores — and serving prepared meals is the perfect way to do so. But grocerants are more than a few tables and chairs — that can come across as stale.
Atmosphere and ambience play a key role in operating a successful grocerant, so make it an experience. It’ll attract more customers to your store — maybe ones that have never visited before — and encourage them to purchase more of your products, prepared or not.
Features to Look for in a Grocerant Point of Sale System
You know what a grocerant is, and why you should consider opening a new one or transforming your traditional grocery store.
Now, you need the tools to make it happen — successfully. It requires more than sophisticated inventory management.
Here are four features to look for when choosing a point of sale (POS) system for your grocerant.
Quick-Service Restaurant Modifiers
For any business to thrive, it needs to cater to its customers — especially the food industry. When selling prepared foods, this means having the ability to customize orders. Point of sale systems with quick-service restaurant features allow cashiers (or waiters) to modify orders.
If a customer orders a coffee, you can substitute almond milk for whole milk. Or if someone orders a burger, you can hold the mayo with ease. And you can decide whether to modify these orders at cost, or free of charge.
Mix and Match Pricing
Looking to get your existing grocery store customers over to your cafe or in-store restaurant? Give them incentives.
Find a POS solution with a mix and match pricing feature. This lets you give customers a discount after they spend a designated amount of money — and you can mix and match products, too. Try offering a coupon for a free prepared sandwich with every $50 grocery purchase, or give a discount on the ingredients used with a purchase of a soup sold on the restaurant side of your store.
This feature is also great for creating combos — like a sandwich, bag of chips, and drink for $10. It’s a great way to support both sides of the business.
Online Grocery
Online shopping has made an impact on the grocery industry, so make sure to leverage this trend to support your business’ growth.
Look for a point of sale system with an e-commerce integration, and amp up your online grocery abilities. Allow your customers to place orders online for pickup in your in-store restaurant — it provides the convenience of online shopping, but still gets your customer through your doors, increasing the possibility that they’ll make another purchase.
Customer Loyalty Rewards
To grow a successful grocerant, you need a consistent flow of customers.
The best way to ensure you always have people shopping at your store? Turn your customers into loyal customers, so that they keep coming back and recommend your store to others.
A POS system with a customer loyalty program assigns point values to dollar amounts. Customers rack up points based on how much they spend over time, and they then can redeem those points for a discount. This encourages them to do more shopping in your grocerant, increasing your overall profits.
Your grocerant can become the new go-to coffee place or sandwich shop.
Get Started With a POS Solution Designed for Your Industry
The concept of a grocerant isn’t new, but it is becoming more popular — and grocery store and market owners need to take advantage of this growth in order to stay relevant in the industry.
It’s a smart move for you and your customers — you have the opportunity to make more money, and they have more options with greater convenience.
But to open a game-changing grocerant, or to transform your traditional market, you need top-of-the-line tools.
To get started with a POS solution designed specifically for your industry, schedule a demo with one of our Markt POS specialists today!
