Nearly all food retailers offer valuable content on their websites, such as recipes, articles, blog posts, and videos. However, only half of them have integrated these resources into a shoppable experience. This lack of shoppable content is a significant disadvantage for the 50% of grocery retailers who rely solely on static recipes. To understand why, we need to examine how and why consumers search for recipe inspiration.

Why does recipe inspiration matter?
Recipe inspiration is crucial because it addresses a major consumer pain point. Even before the pandemic, people struggled to find time for meal planning amidst busy schedules. Kraft Heinz data showed individuals already spent an average of 40 minutes per week just deciding what to cook. This desire for home-cooked meals was already present, as evidenced by pre-pandemic statistics: 51% of Americans wished they cooked at home more with new ideas (Peapod), and a majority of millennials (62%) and millennial parents (71%) actively sought new recipes (YouGov). Furthermore, 77% of people preferred a home-cooked meal to dining out (Peapod).

The pandemic has made this preference a reality, with increased home cooking. Hunter’s April data revealed 54% of Americans were cooking more often, with increased confidence (75%) and enjoyment (73%). However, the initial novelty has faded, and for many, home cooking remains a necessity. This is where fresh recipe inspiration becomes essential. Currently, 60% of consumers seek recipes utilizing existing pantry and refrigerator staples. Given that millennials spend roughly 200 hours annually grocery shopping and over 300 hours cooking, integrating these processes with recipe inspiration into a shoppable experience offers significant time savings for consumers and numerous benefits for retailers and brands.

Increasing basket value with shoppable recipe content
Shoppable recipe content can significantly increase basket value. Walmart’s data shows an average online grocery pickup order of $124.86, drastically higher than the $49.70 average in-store spend. This difference is amplified when shoppable recipes are involved. Asda’s research indicates that consumers using recipe content add three more items to their carts compared to shoppers who don’t. Furthermore, these recipe-driven shoppers transition from below-average to above-average spenders. This is logical: a shopper planning a simple meal of chicken, potatoes, and broccoli might be swayed by a casserole recipe and its “add ingredients to basket” feature, leading to the purchase of additional items like chicken stock, herbs, onions, and garlic. This benefits both consumers, combating cooking fatigue, and retailers/brands, who see increased revenue.
Fostering loyalty through a more efficient and engaging online grocery process

While one-time revenue boosts are valuable, cultivating customer loyalty is even more crucial. Over two-thirds of online grocery shoppers prioritize the digital experience when choosing where to shop. Historically, supermarkets were simply places to buy groceries, and loyalty wasn’t a major concern for either retailers or consumers. Today, however, consumers expect more. Over half view their primary grocery store as a partner in achieving their health goals.

The pandemic, with its disrupted supply chains, has also created ingredient shortages. Providing shoppable recipes using readily available ingredients allows retailers to establish themselves as a reliable resource, not just for products, but also for efficient meal planning and purchasing. For instance, meat shortages have driven consumers to seek alternative protein sources, often lacking the culinary skills to prepare them. Combined with less frequent grocery trips, this makes meal planning and shopping significantly more challenging, further fueling the surge in online grocery shopping’s popularity.

Building a digital food experience
The increasingly competitive digital grocery landscape will only intensify as smaller retailers and brands strive to compete with industry giants. Prioritizing an engaging, efficient, and hassle-free online experience is crucial for building customer loyalty and driving repeat traffic. Shoppable recipes are essential for creating this compelling digital food experience. Equally important are data-driven recipe curation, ensuring content aligns with customer needs, desires, and lifestyles, and a supporting social media strategy. Driving engagement with shoppable recipes depends on attracting initial clicks, and a brand’s website isn’t always the first place consumers look for inspiration.

Building closer relationships between grocery retailers food brands and consumers
While a food brand’s website might not be the initial destination for recipe searches, the right content can change that. King Arthur Flour, for example, has fostered a thriving community of home bakers through its shoppable recipes. Brands can replicate this success on their own platforms using shoppable recipe solutions provided by Funnel and Click.