Asda encourages customers to shop online

Thursday, November 20, 2014 - 12:56 by Mike Price

Asda e-commerce spokesperson, Chris Conway, has said this week that customers are better off using its site to carry out safe shopping online if they want the best deals, rather than heading to one of its bricks and mortar outlets, according to Marketing Magazine.

In an honest address Conway delivered at an industry summit this week, he spoke about the shift that Asda has made in recent years, moving away from emphasising real world retail and, instead, putting the focus on the digital realm.

Conway explained that in 2013, there were better offers available in-store than online, but in the past 12 months, this balance has shifted and now e-commerce customers are getting a wider selection of lower cost products than those who visit Asda supermarkets.

Of course, customers can combine safe shopping online with the convenience of in-store pickup, with 10 per cent of Asda’s orders now received via its click & collect service, rather than being sent for home delivery.

The cost to the retailer of delivering items to individual customers’ homes is extensive in the supermarket industry, which is why click & collect is seen as the ideal combination of e-commerce and bricks and mortar resources.

Conway revealed that click & collect is preferred by many customers because it gives them the freedom to pick up grocery orders outside of normal opening hours, with a third of these transactions carried out when doors would otherwise be closed.

Part of Asda’s digital strategy has involved training its staff to better meet the needs of customers who shop online. It has also updated its website, to be optimised for access from smartphones and tablets, with about 60 per cent of its sales now being generated from mobile devices, which is yet another shifting trend.