Wegmans has long wowed shoppers with in-store features that center around ready-to-eat meals and product freshness. Now, the grocer has stepped up its efforts to deliver this experience digitally.
Earlier this month, the East Coast supermarket chain announced it has revamped its mobile app and website to improve digital discovery and further personalize the online shopping experience.
“We’ve made enhancements to the features our customers love, added new functionality, and are harnessing the power of AI to create a single customer experience that blends the best of both in-store and online shopping,” Erica Tickle, the grocer’s vice president of marketing and digital growth, said in a statement.
Grocers across the country saw customer interest in e-commerce spike after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that interest leveled off — and Wegmans was no exception. However, digital engagement and growth have returned for the grocer, according to Tickle, specifically in regard to Wegmans’ curbside pickup business and the number of times people have downloaded its app, prompting Wegmans to launch a “new and improved” version of the online platform
Save is the word
“Save Time,” “Save Money” and “Save Recipes,” are how Wegmans classified the digital updates that are now live.
The grocer improved the search functionality of its app by integrating AI technology, enabling the tool to deliver improved product recommendations.
The search tool also places greater emphasis on shopping history. Shoppers can easily view past purchases from the last 13 months as they are automatically saved in the “My Items” section of the app. Users can also customize this list of items through manual edits and filtering items.
Wegmans’ new online features are not only for shoppers placing online orders. Wegmans has also introduced new list-building capabilities, including a “Get It” tab that shows shoppers what items they still haven’t added to their shopping cart. And, to view what has been grabbed, they can view the “Got It” tab, also under “My List” on the grocer’s app.
The additional organizational tools add to the app’s personalization capabilities, as in-store shopping listed on the app is now sorted by aisle locations based on the Wegmans store the shopper frequents. If the shopper switches to another location, the app automatically changes to that Wegmans location.
Personalization tied with a fast shopping experience is a signature element of Wegmans’ enhanced digital platforms.
“Turn your phone into your cookbook,” Wegmans’ app notes, letting users know that they now have the ability to find, import and save recipes from anywhere. Once recipes are saved, shoppers can modify and scale them as needed.
Shoppers can also discover products and recipes on Wegmans app itself, where meals and recipes are categorized by prep time, courses, main ingredients, dietary preferences, time and more
