How to reach more convenience shoppers in 2022 and beyond.
The rise of e-commerce has greatly impacted the average shopper’s standard for convenience. At one point in history, convenience meant being able to shop for essentials after filling up at the local gas station. Years ago, Amazon normalized 2-day delivery and now consumers can have just about anything delivered to their doorstep in a matter of days. More recently, however, and partly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers and retailers alike have witnessed the growing demand for rapid, same-day delivery of groceries, home essentials, and more.
According to a study by McKinsey & Company, online grocery sales grew by 100% in 2020 compared to 2019. This is equivalent to the same growth as the previous ten years combined. A study published by NACS in 2021 indicates that 43% of convenience shoppers have used a delivery service to order from a convenience store. Unsurprisingly, this trend continued throughout 2021 and into 2022 as more consumers discovered they prefer the convenience of online shopping over visiting traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
This shift in consumer preferences and behaviors presents a unique challenge for convenience retailers that once depended on in-store traffic. Store owners that want to expand their customer base have been turning to online delivery, but delivery comes with its own set of challenges. Retailers that sign up for today’s popular delivery platforms have to manage multiple delivery tablets, price books, and inventory records. On top of that, each new delivery account remains independent from the others, which creates chaos for store owners who are trying to balance a brick and mortar presence at the same time.
That's why we started Lula.
In 2020, Lula Co-founder and CEO, Adit Gupta’s family’s convenience store had to close down due to challenges with in-store traffic and a lack of delivery platforms built for small convenience stores. Lula is the first and only all-in-one delivery solution designed to meet the needs of c-stores of all sizes. Lula is democratizing e-commerce for convenience stores by offering a 0% commission experience and empowering merchants to fulfill orders on major delivery platforms like Uber EATS, DoorDash, Grubhub, and more.
The future of convenience is online. Consumers are showing a notable preference for contactless shopping experiences and retailers are beginning to recognize the importance of having an online presence. When asked about how the industry might continue to evolve, Lula store owner Mike Shehab replied, “Lula is the next phase in the convenience store industry. Definitely.” It is up to store owners to adapt to the changing c-store landscape or risk losing considerable market share, and Lula is here to help. Get started today at www.luladelivery.com.
About Lula
Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, Lula provides delivery solutions for convenience stores, pharmacies, and CPG brands that lack a secondary sales channel, offering the first multi-vendor 30-minute delivery platform to retail stores.
Lula is hiring across multiple roles! We’re building an incredible team to make the convenience store industry a little more convenient. Apply here to build the future of convenience.