Online grocery shopping is the way of the world these days. The ability to shop online has become more than a convenience, but a necessity for me. Who has time to go grocery shopping anymore, anyway? I am an avid user of Vons.com and advocate the service to anyone and everyone who will listen. No, I don’t own stock in the company; I just feel that I can offer useful information when I hear a friend say, “I don’t know how I’m going to find time to go to the grocery store after work tonight!” That’s my queue to step in and suggest the usage of Vons.com.
As I begin delineating the benefits, from free shipping to scheduling evening deliveries after work in 2-hour time blocks, I ask myself the obvious question: why isn’t EVERYONE using this service? It makes life so much easier, especially for working moms like me who have very limited time. I even have my 10-year-old log in to our account at Vons.com to add items to the cart, in case I forget one or two of her favorites. Everyone in the household can see what’s in our virtual shopping cart and add items as they deem necessary (or desirable) before final submission. Click, click…done!
What am I losing by not actually doing the shopping at the grocery store myself? Well, for starters, I don’t get to select the produce myself. So what? As long as there’s food in the house for my family to eat, I’ve accomplished my goal. I don’t care if the bananas are a little greener than I might have selected. They’re bananas, and they’re in my house now. Unless the social relationship with my local grocer is so valuable to me (which it isn’t) that I don’t want to give it up for the convenience of shopping in front of my computer, I really can’t think of anything that I am losing by shopping online. Oh yeah, I don’t have anyone asking me to sign a petition as I enter the store or buy a can of solution I can use to detail my car—experiences I think I can live without.
What if they get something wrong or bring the wrong brand? That’s easy—Vons.com has a “100% satisfaction guarantee” in place, which ensures you are just that: 100% satisfied. If they deliver an incorrect or damaged item (or if it’s unsatisfactory for any reason), they credit you back the cost of the item…period.
So why isn’t everyone using this service?
In a state of perplexity, I have to wonder: is the consumer aware of Vons.com and the benefits of patronizing? Let’s take a look at some of their marketing communications.
Surely people notice the ambient marketing message (Young, 2010) when the Vons.com truck passes by or rides alongside them when they’re stuck in traffic.
(www.vons.com)
Perhaps the best form of marketing for a service like this is word of mouth—what I’m doing right now. A real customer achieving a real benefit and sharing real experiences. That’s worth gold in the world of marketing, as negative online chatter (Young, 2010) could have the opposite effect, dissuading customers from using the service.
Vons.com makes it too easy for the consumer. My credit card information is securely saved within the site; no searching for payment sources or plugging in numbers, just the click of a button (provided I know my 3-digit security code and the password to enter the site).
(www.vons.com)
In sum, by becoming a faithful user of Vons.com, I am satisfied with the value of the products and level of customer service I receive, I save valuable time, avoid hustling from aisle to aisle collecting my items in the store, avoid long lines and potential stress, and I get my grocery shopping done within 10 minutes.
Again, I ask…why isn’t everyone using this service?
References:
Young, A. (2010). Brand media strategy: Integrated communications planning in the digital era. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Vons Company Website: Retrieved from: http://www.vons.com/IFL/Grocery/Home
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