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Hello!

Welcome to the 17th edition of Always Be Convenient. This is your guide to building a strategy for convenience in a digitized world. You can browse our archives too.

In the United States this is also a holiday week. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday – a time for family, food, and thankfulness.

And speaking of thankfulness, you should thank a convenience store worker this week while out on your travels. We owe it to these store teams for keeping the country moving every day and at every hour.

I’d also like to extend a special thanks to you, dear reader, for giving me time and space in your inbox every week. I hope you have enjoyed it!

Conveniently,
Mike

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The new front door

A few years ago I came across a quote that felt perfect for how retailers were blending their physical and digital experiences.

The executive was Casey Carl, the former chief strategy and innovation officer at Target. In describing Target’s innovation efforts at the time, he talked about how mobile had become the retailer's new front door to the store.

Even back in 2015, 98% of Target's customers were shopping digitally, and three-quarters of them said they would start their experience on a mobile device.

I borrowed and built on this language as I worked to inspire the omnichannel marketing team I led at Casey’s.

According to Statista, just 16% of retail sales originate from e-commerce – leaving 84% of purchases being made in-store.

In most convenience retailers the e-commerce business is even smaller, unless you’re leaning into a foodservice meal occasion with a high propensity for ordering.

Does this mean digital is all for naught? Hardly.

If you look beyond the point of purchase, research from Forrester shows that as much as 59% of sales are digitally-influenced (and this figure is from back in 2021).

Digitally-influenced sales include those that originate from e-commerce platforms, but they also incorporate sales that were driven by digital engagement beforehand.

And it’s not just research companies or industry consultants saying this either.

Two large retailers serving convenience needs are actively promoting the impact of digital on their brick-and-mortar business.

These two brands, both with large and growing retail media businesses, are reporting heightened in-store activities after consumers engage with digital properties or see digital ads.

• 52% of ExtraCare members make a purchase in store within 48 hours of interacting with CVS.com

• 50% of shoppers who use the DG app and web page visit a Dollar General store within 2 days

This is the power of a connected customer experience.

As CVS touts on their website:

This is why you must look beyond the front door to your store as you seek to engage.

And that’s why you want to forge digital customer connections as soon as you can. Being connected is being convenient.

Wherever you can find your potential consumer, that’s where you ought to be.

If you’re not there to influence a decision, someone else – who’s more convenient – will.