Coupons and their future were the focus when Clear Event took Berns in Stockholm by storm on October 4th. Smartson was curious to hear about exciting news and inspiring trends in the FMCG field. These are some of the highlights from the event:
- New product that simplifies coupon use in store- Changed purchase journey when shopping food online- Food trends that will rule the market in 2019
A tool worth developing
Coupons are a proven, but still very powerful tool, that help customers in their purchase decision. A survey conducted by Retail House shows that the stores themselves welcome coupon use as it’s an effective way to get attention for a product and also offers a discount that is sponsored by the manufacturer.
The newly started company, Blippit, is working to develop a product that simplifies coupon use in stores. The idea is to make the process more digital, including reducing the use of paper and simplifying transport. From the consumer perspective, the goal is to make coupon usage easier, with faster check-out and the ability to pay directly with your mobile phone. Blippit says they are still in the product development phase, but that a prototype is ready. A receiver that is slightly larger than a five crown coin is attached to the shelf next to the product. The customer puts the phone against the receiver to activate the discount and then blip the phone again at the checkout to use the discount and pay the purchase at the same time. The company expects to launch the product in 2019.
New clear habits
Shopping groceries and other everyday goods online is becoming more common, and Frida Åkerlund from Retail Academics told us that the purchase journey for grocery shopping varies depending on whether we shop in store or online. Some significant differences are that on average we are 5 minutes faster when shopping online, whilst also spending more money during that time.
The physical stores will provide a different purpose in the future, but are still expected, to a large extent, remain. The consumers' new habits mean that a lot of people like to do their weekly shopping online and then turn to physical stores when they need to complement their online shop. However, this will happen more often, which mean we still visit the actual store a few times a week.
Fresh bread and seafood
In another trend spotting for 2019, Food & Friends presented some clear topics about food, drink and consumption. One of these themes is that the consumer wants to reduce the impact in different ways, for example, using products that do not affect one's health or the environment negatively.
As consumers, in 2019, we are expected to request a meaningful experience when we go to a store and shop for groceries. Since the forecast shows that we are expected to buy fewer items but spend more time in the physical stores, those stores will need to provide a fun experience where we indulge more and get closer to spontaneous purchases. Toilet paper and milk will be purchased online, while fresh bread and seafood will be purchased in store.
The event was rewarding and the inspiration and energy was evident. Smartson directs a big thank you to ClearOn for a wonderful morning.