"The future of retail is hybrid, we know that now. The customer likes to shop and we know the customer likes to order digitally. And we know that because we can see it across multiple generations. It's not just a millennial thing," says Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. "How people shop and how they interact with their brands has shifted in a way that we are not gonna go back to".
For Robb, designing a store of the future will cover all channels simultaneously. The physical part would still focus on telling stories and having experiences and interactivity that you can’t get online. "I would involve local producers, show processes how food is made," Robb says. At the same time, there would be the digital part, where customers can connect with their brands, personalise their shop, check their shopping list and get comparison opportunities within the store.
According to Robb, the data is clear right now: Companies that are doing both parts are having a better customer lifetime value and their customers are ordering 25 % more products.
What else would Walter Robb integrate into his 21st century grocery store? And what is his vision of grocery shopping in a flow commerce world? Find out at the 72nd International Retail Summit on 8 - 9 September 2022 at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute.