GOODLETTSVILLE, TN - Though the competition in the retail market is stiff, Dollar General refuses to back down from the race. The grocer has been taking great steps this year to grow the company, from expanding its selection of fresh produce and opening new distribution facilities, to testing out new formats and opening new stores in dozens of states. The retailer’s latest move to keep up with the competition is to bolster its digital strategy, offering new services to transform its customers’ shopping experience.
Dollar General already offers its customers a shopping feature that allows them to scan items on their mobile phones as they shop, to keep a running total of the prices. In around 250 of the retailer’s stores (and 500 more planned), shoppers can also scan and pay for their items as they go, skipping the checkout line entirely. But now, according to The Wall Street Journal, the company is planning to launch a buy-online and pick-up-in-store service that it hopes will attract a wider demographic.
Many retailers have been testing out digital tools to enhance their customers’ experience, many of which have already implemented similar order, pick up, and go programs, including Amazon, Kroger, and Weis Markets, to name a few. Though Dollar General has not revealed which or how many stores will begin testing the new service, it has confirmed that the project is underway, the news source reports.
The new service is based on extensive internal research—Dollar General found that around 45 percent of its customers use digital tools from its company or other retailers when shopping. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company also discovered that “digitally engaged customers” spend around twice as much as they normally would. The retailer is planning to build other features into the mobile app, including details about inventory, suggesting similar items when another is out of stock, and the ability to use digital coupons for online purchases.
What will Dollar General test out next to up its competitive edge? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for updates.
