Time-sensitive customers want their food faster than ever, and Schnucks Markets is responding to that need by expanding its offerings in terms of both delivery and prepared options.
Most recently, the grocer expanded its prepared food delivery partnership with DoorDash from five stores in the St. Louis metropolitan area to 25 stores across the Midwest.
Customer response to the initial offering was “extremely positive,” which led to the current expansion, the company noted. Options include rotisserie chickens, sandwiches, chicken wings, pulled pork, side dishes and side salads, and Schnucks hopes to expand both the number of menu items and locations offering prepared food delivery in the future.
“In our industry we exist to serve our customers and communities,” said Paul Simon, Spokesperson for Schnucks. “As our customers continue to be time-starved, prepared foods allow them to take a break from the challenges of the day and enjoy family time with little preparation and cleanup.
“Simply put, our customers are looking for quick, delicious and nutritious meal solutions for their families and we want to bring those options to them,” he added.
PARTNERSHIPS KEY
The prepared food delivery program works in tandem with Schnucks’ grocery delivery options to create a full array of options. The grocer is also working with multiple delivery partners and tapping the specific expertise of each one to ensure shoppers have a satisfying experience no matter what they order.
“We chose DoorDash for this partnership to complement our Schnucks Delivers partnership with Instacart,” said Simon. “We knew that DoorDash was the ideal partner to help bring our customers their favorite Schnucks prepared foods items.
“This partnership allows us to reach more customers and gives them greater access to our gourmet deli and prepared food options as well as many of our signature items so that they can enjoy delicious meals from Schnucks without having to leave their home or business.”
AIDING COMMUNITIES
The evolution of prepared food offerings isn’t limited to delivery, and the benefits of this strategy aren’t limited to Schnucks itself. During the start of the pandemic, when lockdowns were common and consumers shied away from eating out, Schnucks began supporting local restaurants by selling their grab-and-go meals at its stores.
That practice continued over the past two years, and also put a focus on Black-owned businesses.
“Not only does this allow us to bring additional and popular restaurant-quality meals to our customers, we are able to help local restaurant entrepreneurs reach more consumers,” Simon said.
APPS IMPERATIVE
The entire omnichannel experience is tied together through the Schnucks Rewards app. Shoppers previously had to look outside the app to place Schnucks Delivers or curbside pickup orders, but adding those features directly into the app enables a seamless shopping experience while also letting customers earn rewards points no matter which channel they choose for their shopping.
“We continue to develop and implement app features that allow customers to interact with Schnucks digitally in our stores and at home such as numerous ways to search items including by category, past purchases and personalized savings,” said Simon.
