Four tips for retailers to make the most of 'grocery-tourism'

With a collective wealth of experience in the retail industry, the concept of grocery store tourism is nothing new to Capgemini Invent’s UK retail team. With the concept bringing new business from around the world, experts from Capgemini Invent have offered up four ways to encourage visitors to check out their stores.

The number of users posting about weird and often wonderful products and concepts they’ve experienced in grocery stores while holidaying abroad is growing across social media. But even while this won’t replace the bread-and-butter business of retailers, there are plenty of actionable insights for UK grocers to take away from this trend.

Find local champions

First, according to Roxy Ryan, grocers should “champion small, local producers to celebrate the best of Britain’s rich farming heritage.” The senior consultant at Capgemini Invent explained on the firm’s website that a sudden “boom of a food-obsessed generation” has coincided with “a post-covid era encouraging a taste for travel again”, meaning local supermarkets in new countries have become a core part of the overall cultural experience.

Ryan went on, “Europe is a hive of gastronomic activity and sensational foodie capitals have become major tourist drivers… And this passion extends beyond the restaurant floor, as travellers seek out the best taste of the country to bring back to their table spreads at home. France is well known for its extensive fresh produce selection glistening under misted displays but a recent trend has travellers paying an extra euro to vacuum pack the Parisian butter ‘Le Beurre Bordier’ to fit into their luggage. Even the more accessible ‘Grand Fermage’ butter with its large salt crystals is tempting travellers to stock up when it’s impossible to find on supermarket shelves back home.”

This is already starting to translate to UK products, too. In particular, Ryan pointed to one post on TikTok which made it into the #grocerystoretourism trend – as a US tourist “proudly admitted they spent three hours at Daylesford, a luxury farm shop and quaint country store nestled in the Cotswolds countryside”.

To tap into this further, stores need to start showcasing the best British seasonal produce has to offer – be that “tart, tangy rhubarb or freshly harvested Jersey Royals”. All this could give UK supermarkets “a ‘raison d’être’”, and stores of all sizes should be “inspired and influenced by the recent resurgence in farmers markets, bursting with the season’s finest”. This is more than simply draping a union flag over every product in the store, as many supermarkets have lazily defaulted to in recent years.

Instead, Ryan suggested “championing small, local producers”. One example of this comes from M&S, which has a long-standing small supplier scheme which. Though not always the most profitable, it “is a massive footfall driver and a point of differentiation” – and was a likely contributor to the brand’s “phenomenal market share growth” throughout the past year.

Leverage social media

Ruwani Jayasekara meanwhile suggested grocers should “leverage social media to generate excitement, reach a wider audience, and shape brand perception.” While that might be easier said than done – especially at a time when long-standing social media platforms like Facebook are fading in their popularity, and TikTok faces an uncertain legal future – the account executive argued that iconic branding shown in unexpected places on a social media post can make all the difference.

Jayasekara went on, “When visiting my favourite country Thailand, a must-visit pit stop is Texas-headquartered convenience store 7-Eleven. Whether grabbing a well-priced sim card from happy-to-help staff, or popping in for a quick hydration stop, it doesn’t take long to see 7-Eleven not just as an always-open convenience store, but a vital part of the tourist experience.”

At the same time, Jayasekara added that finding unfamiliar variations on the stock of otherwise familiar stores could also prove appealing. And while “Thailand’s street food scene is legendary”, it is not always comfortable – meaning the alternative of grabbing dinner from 7-Eleven, “choosing from a bowl of tom yum instant noodles, skewers of grilled chicken, or even a microwavable pad Thai” mean that visitors won’t be disappointed.

“Back home, I would love to see more UK retailers leveraging social media to generate excitement for our supermarkets,” the Capgemini Invent expert added. “Grocery tourism has been cemented into pop culture, providing a great opportunity to reach a wider audience and shape brand perception. Yes, recently there has been a conscious effort to cater to a more diverse customer, however the vast amount of choice provided in Thailand, for example, is something we in the UK are still yet to reach. While 7-Eleven catered to my needs as a tourist, it is also clear they focus on the needs of the community and locals – unique to each branch across the globe.”

Diversify appetites

According to Catherine Strowger, stores would do well to “entice customers to diversify their appetites.” The head of retail for Capgemini Invent in the UK suggested that other markets already show the way ahead for British brands.  

She explained, “One of the biggest differences between supermarkets in continental Europe and the UK is the quality and offer of fish and seafood. I absolutely love seeing the impressive and enticing counters in the French hypermarkets, and it makes you wonder whether we’d eat a bit more fish in this country if we had access to that kind of offer.”

At present, she already has high hopes for what Morrisons is doing in that space. The supermarket’s new Falfish processing centre in Cornwall is said to have unlocked additional capacity – but also has been hailed as “the biggest investment in the Cornish fishing industry in a generation”. Strowger noted this might reflect the store’s new CEO Rami Baiteh, who previously had senior experience with French supermarket giant Carrefour. Looking ahead, the question is how else Baiteh may be “able to bring a bit of his Carrefour heritage to the fish counters of Morrisons stores”.

Get inspired

Finally, Caroline Dunphy recommended that stores should “look globally to step up at home.” According to the senior manager at Capgemini Invent, stores should look draw further inspiration from international markets, and realise there is more at play than mere frivolity here.

Dunphy concluded, “Although this could be perceived as a bit of a fun and a ‘trend’, there’s no denying that international supermarkets are becoming serious tourist hotspots. Some may argue that the trend has always existed, but with the rise of social media and the hashtag, it has issued a global broadcast of what the greatest grocers have to offer.”