According to a survey conducted by Information Resources Inc., 52 percent of shoppers choose the grocery store they’ll shop at based on which store offers the lowest prices on the items they’re looking for.

However, considering the prevalence of stores like Whole Foods, it’s clear there are plenty of people who are willing to spend a little extra when what they’re paying for is more than just food – it’s an experience.

Shoppers enjoy going somewhere that not only caters to them in-store, but that makes them feel like they are part of a community outside of the store. Creating a personal relationship with shoppers that doesn’t make getting their groceries feel like a chore is a great marketing tool that will create brand loyalists and will help grocery store owners bring in more customers without having to slash prices. Here are a few ideas that can help improve your grocery store marketing.

1. Host in-store tasting events.

There are few things people love more than free food, making in-store tasting events practically irresistible to shoppers. These events are a great way to not only bring people into the store outside of their typical shopping experience, but also to improve the experience of those who stumble upon them while doing their regular shopping. Ideally these events would happen at the same time every week to make it easier for people to know when they’re happening so they can schedule their shopping trips around them.

These events are also a great way to showcase the items you’re selling in-store and can help increase the purchases of items people might not typically buy.

2. Work with local farmers to sell farm-fresh ingredients.

With more and more people questioning what’s in their food and where it comes from, one of the biggest trends in food right now is organic, locally-sourced produce. Typically people will visit farmer’s markets on weekends to get their produce for the week, so offering this produce in your grocery store would make life much more convenient for them, making them more likely to want to shop at your store.

Offering local produce also allows you to create relationships within the community, which encourages more people to support your business.

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3. Connect with shoppers using social media

When compared to websites, 75 percent of people believe that liking a brand on Facebook helps them feel more connected to the brand. The social aspect of social media helps to create relationships between businesses and consumers that are vital for continued success. In addition to creating relationships, Facebook is also a great way to promote sales, upcoming events, and store news. 

Grocery stores can do particularly well on Facebook due to their inherent fun nature. Everybody likes food and you can get really creative with the type of content you share. For instance, you can create fun pictures made out of food, highlight the many national food holidays (National Hot Dog Day, National Chocolate Day, etc.), and you can share recipes that include ingredients that are found in-store. 

4. Digitize your coupons.

As mentioned before, people often base their grocery shopping decisions on where they can get the best price on what they need. For years, grocery stores have lured shoppers in via the weekly circulars inserted into Sunday papers. But as the digital world continues to grow, grocery stores need to keep up with the changing times. More and more shoppers are using their phones during their shopping experience to keep track of their grocery list, look up ingredients for recipes, and use digital coupons. In fact, 75.3 percent of shoppers have redeemed a coupon from their phone in 2013.

Grocery stores can take advantage of this new trend by sending coupons straight to shoppers’ inboxes via email. Begin developing an email list by having people sign up in-store, on your website, and via social media. Then develop a weekly email newsletter that includes barcode coupons that can be scanned from the shopper’s mobile device. This process will encourage shoppers to visit your store because it’s a more convenient way to save than having to clip coupons and remembering to bring them with you to the store.

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You can get extra creative with your newsletter by providing coupons that follow a specific theme such as a holidays (for July 4th, include coupons for hot dogs, soda, etc.) and seasonal recipes (for winter, include coupons for hot chocolate, fire logs, etc.).

– See more at: http://www.godigitalmarketing.com/learn/blog/4-unique-ways-to-improve-your-grocery-store-marketing#sthash.67dFljMe.dpuf