During the early 14th century, a growcer used to deal in dry products like species, sugar, cocoa, tea, etc. Since these items were purchased in bulk so, they were named after the French word for wholesaler, or “grossier.” Slowly and steadily the staple food was also available for purchase due to the availability of packaging which was less perishable.

Today, grocers deal in a wide range of food-stuffs including such perishables as dairy products, meats, and whatnot. Such goods are, hence, called groceries.

The First Self-Service Grocery Store

Piggly-Wiggly – The first self-service grocery store was opened in 1916 at Memphis, Tennessee, by Clarence Saunders, an inventor, and entrepreneur. At that time, the shoppers used to give their orders to the clerks and they used to gather the goods from the store shelves. So by initiating the self-service grocery store, Saunders revolutionized the entire grocery industry. He believed that the earlier method of shopping was a waste of time and added to additional expenses.

Offline Grocery Shopping: Brick & Mortar Stores

For years, people have been buying groceries from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. Many people still buy groceries from local retailers because they want to make sure that the quality of items is not compromised. 

Since many of the grocery items are perishable, instead of buying staple food items in bulk, people prefer to buy a little every day. The brick-and-mortar stores are still running because people like to see an item in person and touch it before deciding to buy it. 

Online Grocery Shopping: eGrocery Websites & Mobile Apps

There is no denying that technology has made it easier for shoppers to research the product, compare them and purchase them with a click. The disruptive innovators are addressing the pain points of the shoppers by innovating digital solutions.

Nowadays people are and their behavior towards purchasing groceries is evolving. Along with items like clothing, accessories, gadgets, etc, they now want to buy groceries online as well.

Suggested Read: Setting up Online Grocery Business in 2020? Here Is What You Need to Know

Conclusion

No doubt, online shopping is overtaking the traditional method of shopping. But grocery is a wide industry in itself and it works the best when online and offline shopping goes hand in hand. Click and Collect a.k.a Buy Online, Pick up In-Store (BOPIS) in the grocery industry has created omnichannel experience.

So if you are planning to start your grocery business in the near future, set up an offline store first and then build an online store with Growcer. Growcer by FATbit Technologies is an award-winning online grocery store solution. We assure you great user experience, marketing features, high customizations, analytics, special features like cart sharing, and much more.