Apples and Oranges: A Grocery Experience
Article Highlights:
- Customers expect convenience and desire customization.
- The one-stop shop philosophy that fosters customer loyalty.
Have you heard of Wegmans? They’re a grocery chain in the northeast that has been named America’s favorite grocery store for three years in a row 1.
They’re only in six states and they’re number one in the country.
How is this possible? Well, Wegmans is simply the place to be. They’re huge – ranging 30 to 100 thousand square feet larger than the average grocery store 2. While it might be difficult for dealerships to increase their store size, consider the purpose of that space – product offering. They carry 70,000 products in addition to sushi bars, pizzerias, and other restaurants.
It’s a one-stop-shop.
This dedication to offer everything has produced the loyal following they have today. They turned a chore into a destination. It’s what brings customers back. It’s the in-store offerings that enhance customer experience. More importantly, it’s the variety they offer.
Ecommerce has made shoppers demand convenience and intuition in their shopping experiences. Wegmans has delivered ten-fold to keep shoppers in their stores.
Breaking Down the Wegmans Philosophy
Wegmans has restaurants to satisfy a demand customers typically want after grocery shopping – even if the customer didn’t think they wanted pizza, they’re going to once they see and smell it. They offer as many choices as possible, so they’re not just catering to one type of audience. They also make more revenue from this relevant addition to their store.
How can you adopt this philosophy in your dealership? Grocery store customers have a completely different purchasing model. Grocery stores and dealerships are like apples and oranges. But sometimes you need an open mind and a different perspective to come up with the best solution.
Grocery stores have operated with minimal profit margins for years. That means they have to differentiate themselves and attract loyal customers – just like you. They also deal with the same customer evolution. Wegmans adapted to customer demands to provide an experiential treatment.
To apply the “grocery experience” to your dealership, let’s consider what your customer does with their vehicle after they buy. Did you know more than 80% of accessory purchases are made in the first 120 days of vehicle ownership 3?
Selling accessories hasn’t worked before because it’s never been a great experience for anyone involved. But what if it could be? What if there was a way to engage every customer and give them what they want, even if they didn’t know they wanted it? What if you had a way to offer all kinds of accessories to satisfy any customization desires from any one of your customers?
If Wegmans’ one-stop shop strategy works so well with customer experience, start asking yourself how you can make that strategy work for you. Start asking yourself why you are missing the accessory experience.
Sources:
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East Region AddOnAuto Consulting Supervisor
David is the East Region Consulting Supervisor for AddOnAuto. He has over 19 years of dealership Fixed Operations experience working as a Service Advisor, Assistant Service Manager, and Service Director. David joined Reynolds and Reynolds and the AddOnAuto team in 2014. Today, he uses his industry and AddOnAuto experience to assist the AddOnAuto Business Consultants in coaching, mentoring, and leading dealerships to develop a successful accessory program.
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