Grocery stores are anything but “cutting edge”. They provide an extremely commoditized service. So much so, that online providers are starting to creep into their business. This forces them to provide “value-add” services which will keep shoppers coming back.
One thing that’s befuddled me is why more businesses don’t ask for your email address. Not to spam you with “SALE, SALE, SALE” but rather to provide you with additional value-add services. Wouldn’t it be nice to receive a monthly breakdown of your spending allocation at your local grocery store? Be shown how much you’re spending in categories such as:

• Health & Beauty
• Snack Foods
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Pre-Made food
• Dairy

Even better, the store could make suggestions to your regular shopping routine of new things to try (both products and recipes) based on your shopping habits. From the store’s side, they could actually accept compensation from vendors to be “preferred vendors” during those suggested emails. Like shopping local? Perhaps have an option to only suggest locally sourced products. There’s a world of opportunity for businesses to provide additional value to their consumers.
Don’t just be a retailer – add value for your customers.