When you conduct an online grocery search for, say, ‘gluten-free’ or ‘organic’ options, do you ever ponder if you’re truly seeing every available product? At AlliumAI, we were wondering the same thing, so we dove deep to discover the truth, and what we found may be surprising.
Grocery Shopping Online: What’s Missing?
While online grocery shopping gains momentum, the user experience heavily relies on website filters. Many customers depend on these filters, especially for dietary needs. Our investigation on several grocery retailer websites gives a crucial peek into the real-world utility of product discovery based on attributes, with a keen emphasis on dietary tags like gluten-free, kosher, and organic.
Breaking Down the Findings
- Are You Seeing Every Option? If you’ve ever felt that not all gluten-free products are popping up, your suspicions are on point. About 35% of relevant products don’t surface when users search for or set specific dietary filters. Beyond mere inconvenience, it might lead to a dip in sales & reputation for retailers, and online shoppers could miss out on ideal choices.
- Limited Filters, Limited Choices: Although some dietary tags are common across platforms, a significant chunk is glaringly missing. Notably, most food allergen details often don’t make the cut.
- One Size Fits All Issues: Irrespective of the retailer’s scale – massive chain or boutique store – attribute-driven product discoverability issues persist.
Errors of omission already weigh heavily on the shopping experience, but false positives also proved to be problematic, especially when relying on the search bar, many products that didn’t fit dietary search criteria would still end up in the results. The was also a significant minority of false positives for attributes when using available filtering options. This is especially dangerous for retailers because there is a very high expectation of product data accuracy when a shopper checks a box to find only products with certain characteristics.
Retailers, Take Note!
- Showcase Attributes: Retailers should identify missing attributes in their catalog and not only fill them but make them easily accessible to customers.
- Routine Check-ups: Regular audits of attribute accuracy and tweaks in filtering algorithms can substantially reduce product misses.
- Listen to Your Customers: Feedback mechanisms that allow shoppers to flag inaccuracies can greatly enhance filter accuracy.
The Takeaway
AlliumAI’s research is a potent reminder of the still significant gaps in attribute-driven shopping experiences. With the growing emphasis on personalized shopping experiences, it’s imperative for retailers to ensure they’re showcasing every product that fits the bill, and none that aren’t.
How often do you face challenges with online shopping filters? Share your experiences in the comments below!
If you are a retailer and haven’t conducted an audit of your attribute-driven product shopping experience recently, or ever, get in touch and ask about our free retailer audit program.