SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH MY ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING TIPS

Huge discounts, better organisation, and more ‘me’ time are just some of the many benefits you’ll experience from doing your grocery shopping online!

I recently started online grocery shopping, and I can’t for the life of me work out why it took me this long to do so! It has meant so much more than simply saving time and money, and I have actually got the whole process down to quite a fine art. I honestly don’t think I will EVER look back!

I was always a little reluctant to do all my grocery shopping online. I liked to touch and see the food I was buying, and was convinced that walking the aisles myself was necessary in order to save money and be inspired for meal times. Oh how wrong I was! It turns out there are actually HEAPS of savings that are available ONLY to online shoppers, and the freshness of my fruit and veggies is as good as if I’d picked them myself. I also feel like I have a bonus hour each week because I no longer do my routine trip to the supermarket each weekend!

If you have been hesitant about shopping online, please keep reading. I feel like grocery shopping online has been a game-changer for me, helping to simplify my weekends that little bit more.

So what are some of the tricks and tips to making online grocery shopping work for you?

1. MANAGE YOUR BUDGET

ONLINE ONLY OFFERS – with online grocery shopping, not only am I able to shop the in-store sales, but I can shop the exclusive Online Only Offers too! I didn’t even realise that Woolworths offered these discounts until recently, but basically they put a range of products on sale each week purely for online shoppers. I have started buying items from this section in bulk, which in turn saves me even more money!

I recently picked up a few bottles of this Rose & Geranium Hand Wash which were on sale in the Online Only Offers.

EASILY STICK TO BUDGET – when I finish my online order and get to checkout, I sometimes see that I’ve ordered beyond my weekly budget. I have the chance to remove items from my cart (ice-cream and chocolate are usually the first things to go) or replace with a cheaper alternative. When shopping in-store I used to gasp when they told me the total, but it’s a little harder (and more embarrassing) to scavenge through the bags and give items back to the checkout assistant.

2. EASILY BUY IN BULK

It is so easy to buy items in bulk when shopping online, because you don’t have the hassle of actually carting the additional items around the supermarket and piling them on to the checkout. You also don’t have to contend with other people wondering why you’re buying so many rolls of toilet paper – LOL!

In addition to the Online Only Offers that Woolworths offers, they also have Bulk Bundles that are exclusively available to online shoppers – helping you save even more money on your shop!

Woolworths also gives you all the specials for your regular purchase, you’ll find these under “my weekly picks”. I go through this list each week and purchase items I know we use frequently like cereal, tuna, and washing detergent. I buy enough to last a few weeks.

3. SHOP QUICKER

I’m not just talking about removing the time it takes to drive to the supermarket and walk the aisles (although I do love not having to do this anymore!), I am talking about being able to save multiple online shopping lists so that I can easily and quickly place my orders. I’ve created a fortnightly and monthly list for the items I don’t need as often, and I check each week if they are on special and will add to cart if they are. I have also set up an Essentials List, which is packed with all my regular items – feel free to check out my list and use it too!

I’m so excited to partner together with Woolworths who have allowed me to share my own personal lists with you all, helping to save you time when you’re doing your weekly shop too.

4. BE REMINDED

Woolworths have a great system where they know what you regularly buy, and they will remind you before checkout if you have forgotten some of the items you usually add to the cart. Darn you Woolworths for reminding me how much I love the new mini summer rolls.

4. BE INSPIRED

Woolworths Dinner Bundles are only available to online shoppers and are a great way to fill the family up on nights when you’re lacking a little inspiration. I also like that if I am inspired by a recipe that I see during the week, I can easily add the ingredients to my online shopping list from my phone, ready for dinner the following week!

5. GET ORGANISED + AVOID MULTIPLE TRIPS

It’s much easier to plan dinners and school lunches for the week at the same time as I’m doing my grocery shop. I simply fill out my Weekly Meal Planner and Lunch Box Planner Pad for the week ahead, and then make sure all necessary ingredients are included in my online order. Being able to do my grocery shopping from the kitchen also means I can check what items I actually have in the pantry and fridge, which prevents me doubling up on these things, whilst also allowing me to easily replenish items so I don’t run out during the week.

6. SHOP ON YOUR TIME

Being able to grocery shop from home when the kids are doing their homework or whilst I’m watching TV means my afternoons and weekends – when I used to do my shopping – have now opened up. I am now free to spend this time doing things I love instead; like cooking, reading a book, watching Netflix shows I love, or spending quality time with my family and fur babies. I also love that I can add items to my online shopping list throughout the week when I notice that things are running out – and I can do this from my phone or my computer.

7. GET THE CONVENIENCE OF DELIVERY, PICK UP, AND NOW DRIVE THRU

PICK UP – I pick my online grocery order up from Woolworths on my way home from work for FREE! I usually order the night before for pickup the following afternoon. It is so convenient, and it costs me nothing! I’ve only recently discovered that I can do this. My local Woolworths has a drive thru pick up and they help you pack it into your car… winning!! I had always thought that online groceries had to be delivered to your door, but I found it hard to give a 3 hour window for when I was going to be home. Now I can track my order to the hour and also select ‘leave unattended’ if I think I might need to pop out for the school run.

MY TOP TIPS FOR ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING

Online grocery shopping and picking up from drive-thru is my new thing, and I preach to everyone that will listen lately that they should give it a go. Here are a few of my tips:

1. Take your time to perfect your ordering system – it took me 3 goes to fine tune my online ordering process, so give yourself time to learn and understand how to order online.
2. Create lists – Create lists to help make shopping easier.
3. Use the search option – choose from a variety of different display options for your search results. If you are wanting to save, use the ‘sort by lowest unit price’. I LOVE this feature!
4. You can start adding to cart and continue adding to it throughout the week – place your order anywhere.  You can start your order while waiting at the doctors for your appointment, while in your lunch break at work and finish it off the night before you want to pick it up. If you start an order from my phone, you can even complete it later from your computer because it remembers you!
5. Double check your produce quantities – on one of my first orders I thought I was ordering 10 potatoes, but instead I ordered 10 packs of 2kg of potatoes. Woolworths were very kind and allowed me to return 9 packs 🙂
6. Add notes to items – for example, I like to receive a few green bananas so I know they last through the week, and if I know I am making a mince dinner 5 days from my order date, I add a not asking for the expiry date to be beyond that date of 5 days.
7. Items get substitutes – if they don’t have an item in stock they they will replace it with the closest match at the same price.
8. Let them know when you’re there – as they get your order ready and will have it waiting for you when you arrive.
9. Hot chooks – I have found you can’t order hot BBQ chooks online. We love a nice BBQ chook on rolls for lunch on weekends, so I usually get one of the kids (mine are teens) to run into the store to get it while I go through drive through to pick up the groceries.
10. Use tubs – to pack items into your car and easily take into the house.

Tips for parents: babies

New babies and coping with change

Adele and Jack were happy to have new baby Carl in their lives, but after two weeks Jack had to go back to work. Now Adele is at home during the day with Carl and his three-year-old sister, Camilla, by herself. They can't believe how much there is to learn about babies all over again – how much time a baby takes – and Carl isn't sleeping well, which doesn’t help. Adele feels drained and Camilla is always at her for attention. She can't find the energy to clean the house. She also can't find enough time for Jack and Camilla and is worried about it.

When she takes Carl to the baby health centre for his check-up, Adele talks to the nurse about how she feels. The nurse tells her lots of women feel that way and that it might be a good idea to try and take some time out and get some help for a little while. Adele rings her mother to chat and tells her how tired she feels. She ends up crying on the phone. Her mother remembers this feeling and offers to come and stay for a couple of weeks, if that is what Adele wants.

She talks to Jack about everything that night. She's not sure how he will feel about her mother coming to stay. Jack thinks it is a good idea and tells Adele how tired he is feeling and how he wishes he could take more time off work.

Camilla thinks it is a good idea too, because she likes her Grandma. Adele hopes the support will give her some breathing space and help her to catch up on some sleep.

Make time for yourself and other relationships

Enjoy your baby

• Cuddle, talk to and play with your baby. Babies like sound, colour and movement.

Make time for yourself

• Look after yourself. Eat well and rest when your baby is asleep. Take the phone off the hook.
• Your baby will take up lots of time. Try to make time for your other relationships as well.

Your relationship with your partner will change

• Spend time talking about how you both feel about the changes in your lives.
• Share the care of your baby. This will help you both have better bonds with the baby and each other.
• Make special time to spend together to support each other. You will have less time and it may be hard to get used to this.
  

Childcare

• Find a friend or relative who can mind your baby regularly so you can have a break.
• Find out about occasional care in your area. You will be able to leave your baby there for a short time when you need a break.
• Your local council will know about childcare in your area. Book your baby in early if you are returning to work or want a regular break.

When to seek advice

• If you are unsure about anything, talk to a family member or friend.
• If talking to friends and family does not reassure you, talk to a health professional you trust.
• If you get depressed, talk to your baby and maternal health nurse or doctor. It is common to suffer from depression after having a baby.
• It is common to experience symptoms of depression during your pregnancy or after the birth of your baby. You should feel comfortable talking to family, friends, or your child health nurse or GP about how you are feeling.

Getting your baby to sleep

• Your baby's sleep pattern will take time to establish. Try to get your baby to sleep two or three times a day. They will sleep less as they get older. If your baby won't settle, try to be patient. If your baby is safe and comfortable, you may want to leave your baby to settle.
• Some babies sleep more than others. New-born babies may sleep better during the day than at night. Be patient and gradually your baby will begin to settle into a more regular sleep pattern. Seek advice and help if you are worried.
• When sick or not in their normal routine, babies will sleep less. Be patient, it may take time to get your baby back into a regular sleep pattern.Top of page

Babies' safety and health

• Put your baby to sleep on its back and use light cotton blankets. Don't overwrap your baby or use pillows.
• Avoid smoking near the baby.
• Many serious childhood diseases are preventable. Check with your doctor or baby and maternal health nurse about immunisation.
• Make your house safe before the baby starts crawling. Put up barriers around unsafe places. Keep detergents and chemicals well out of reach.

If you feel angry

• Make sure your baby is safe and comfortable. Have a break or a shower; ring a friend, Lifeline or Parents Line.

Breastfeeding

• Many women want to breastfeed their baby, but breastfeeding isn't always easy.
• If you are having problems, ask for help from the midwives at the hospital, the Nursing Mothers Association or your local baby and maternal health nurse.
• Everyone will have an opinion about what is best for you and your baby. But only you can decide how long you want to breastfeed your baby.
• Many babies are ready to start eating some foods like rice cereal between 4 and 6 months. Ask for advice from your local baby and maternal health nurse.
  

Babies cry as a way of communicating

• All babies cry. This is your baby's way of letting you know it needs something.
  
• Get to know your baby's different cries. Your baby may need a nappy change, or be cold or sick or hungry or may want to be entertained.
  
• Tips for calming your baby. Check your baby is not sick or uncomfortable first. Try playing calm music, or give your baby a bath or take your baby for a walk.
  
• If your baby won't stop crying and is safe and comfortable, take a short break. If you think there is something wrong, seek advice from a baby and maternal health nurse or a doctor.
  

A new baby? Tips on surviving the first year

While everyone's experience is different, all new parents should expect lots of changes in their lives.

You and your new baby have arrived home! You are happy and overwhelmed at the same time. It's all so new, but gradually you will get the hang of it.

Getting to know your new baby may take time. Lots of people will give you advice. Trust yourself to work out what is right for you and your baby.

Make time for yourself

Looking after yourself as a parent is important. You need to find time to have a break and rest. This means getting support and not feeling guilty about asking others to help. Asking for help or support is sensible and a sign of strength, not failure. Make a list of all the people and services you can call on for support. Even small things like getting a meal cooked every now and then, will help.

Talk to other parents

Your new baby's first year is a time of incredible growth and change. Enjoy your baby, take a break when you need one. The more energy you have, the easier it is to care for your baby. The time you spend with your baby now will help to set up a lifelong relationship that will change and develop as your child grows.

Store Layout Design: 9 Tips for Arranging Your Retail Shop!

Planning the layout of your store is both an art and a science — it requires creativity, psychological insights, and testing.

In this post, we’ll explore common tactics that you can implement when planning the arrangement of your store. Go through them below and see if you can apply any of these pointers to your store’s layout and merchandising.

1. Use the right floor plan

Your floor plan plays a critical role in managing store flow and traffic. The choice of which one is right for you will depend on a number of factors including the size of your store, the products that you sell, and more importantly, your target market.

What are your customers like? Are they shopping in a hurry or can they take their time? Do they prefer self-service features or will your associates guide them throughout the store? Do you want to find exactly what they need efficiently, or are they open to discovering items along the way?

These are just some of the questions you have to ask when deciding on your floor plan.

While there are plenty of store arrangements that you can adopt, here are the most common ones in retail:

Straight floor plan

This floor plan involves positioning shelves or racks in straight lines to create an organized flow of traffic. It’s one of the most economical store layouts and is mostly used in large retail spaces, supermarkets, and stores that primarily use shelving to showcase their merchandise.

Racetrack or loop plan

This layout encourages customers to “loop” your store. You position your fixtures and merchandise in such a way that you create a path to guide that guides shoppers around your shop.

Angular floor plan

This store layout consists of curves and angles to give off a sophisticated vibe. According to the Houston Chronicle, the angular floor plan is usually adopted by high-end retailers and it “reduces the amount of display area you have but focuses instead on fewer, more popular lines.”

Geometric floor plan

The geometric floor plan utilizes racks and fixtures to create a unique store feel and design. Go with this layout if you’re showcasing trendy products.

Free flow plan

A free flow layout affords you the most creativity. You’re not limited to floor patterns or shelves that have to be placed at certain angles. And unlike the other layouts, you’re not prodding people to use a path around your store; instead, shoppers are encouraged to browse and go in any direction.  

2. Be aware of where you “lead” shoppers

There’s quite a bit of debate about whether or not retailers should lead customers in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion inside their stores.

On one hand, some claim that since most people are right-handed, they instinctively turn to the right and explore the store in a counter-clockwise direction.

However, other studies indicate that shopper direction has more to do with their vehicle traffic patterns. Consumers in the UK and Australia for instance, drive on the left side of the road so they have a tendency to explore stores in a clockwise manner while consumers from right-hand driving countries like the US usually turn right when they enter a shop.

So which shopping direction theory should you believe? It looks like there is stronger evidence supporting the theory about driving behavior. As Herb Sorensen, author of Inside the Mind of the Shopper noted:

The pattern of movement in the supermarket is counterclockwise in the United States, but PathTracker studies in the UK, Australia, and Japan show a much greater tendency for shoppers to move in a clockwise pattern there… traffic patterns in the store may also be affected by vehicle traffic patterns outside. In these small studies, we noted that in countries with right-hand driving, where traffic circles move in a clockwise pattern, shoppers in stores may be more comfortable moving in the same direction.

Our recommendation? Test out the theory for yourself. If you find that your customers do indeed follow the country’s vehicle patterns, then you’ll know where to place new arrivals and other inviting elements.

3. Ensure that your product quantities are appropriate

The question of how much merchandise to have on display is an important one — and the answer is not clear-cut.

On the one hand, having more products on the sales floor has proven to increase sales. When Dollar General increased its shelf heights to 78 inches, sales per square foot increased from $165 to $201.

Meanwhile, when Walmart reduced its inventory, sales steadily declined, so the company remodeled its stores to add stock back.

What’s interesting, though, is while Walmart’s sales declined during that time period, customer satisfaction increased. In other words, customers were happier, but they weren’t buying as much. William S. Simon, then Walmart’s chief executive for the US division said that customers “loved the experience” of having less stock on the sales floor, but at the same time they also bought less.

Having too much product on the sales can lead to a decline in brand perception, especially if you’re trying to position yourself as a boutique or high-end retailer.

As Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy told the New York Times, “the more a store is packed, the more people think of it as value — just as when you walk into a store and there are fewer things on the floor, you tend to think they’re expensive.”

The bottom line? The amount of stock to display in your store will depend on the size of your shop, the image you want to project, and the type of experience you want to create.

If you’re a discount retailer who wants to make the most out of your store space, then packing your shop with the merchandise could be a good strategy for you. But if you’re a high-end boutique, then it’s best to keep your selection curated and just put a few select items up for display.

4. Have enough space between products and fixtures

It’s ok to have shelves that are packed with merchandise (if that’s what you’re going for) as long as you still give your customers their personal space.

You want to avoid the butt-brush effect, which according to Underhill, is a phenomenon where shoppers would abandon a display or product they were looking at when they were bumped once or twice from behind.

Underhill wrote:

While reviewing the tape to study how shoppers negotiated the doorway during busy times, we began to notice something weird about the tie rack. Shoppers would approach it, stop and shop until they were bumped once or twice by people heading into or out of the store. After a few such jostles, most of the shoppers would move out of the way, abandoning their search for neckwear. We watched this over and over until it seemed clear that shoppers — women especially, though it was also true of men to a lesser extent — don’t like being brushed or touched from behind. They’ll even move away from the merchandise they’re interested in to avoid it.

5. Freshen up your displays regularly

The rules around how often to change up your displays will vary depending on who you’re talking to and the type of store you run.

That said, most experts recommend changing some part of your store around once a week. You could, for example, change the outfits of your mannequins or feature a different upsell every week.

And for obvious reason, you want to switch up your merchandising whenever new products come in.

Also, take into account the amount (and nature) of traffic that you’re getting in your store or shopping center. Do you get a lot of the same shoppers walking by? Are you on a busy street corner that’s on the way to people’s work locations? If so, then you’ll need to change up your displays more frequently in order to grab people’s attention on a consistent basis.

The last thing you want is for customers to get too accustomed to your store that it doesn’t even register when they pass by.

6. Find ways to appeal to multiple senses

While the majority of a location’s design is made up of visual components, other factors—including scent, touch, sound, and taste—can also make an impact on a store’s look and feel. If you wish to create a truly immersive in-store experience, design your store to appeal to as many shopper senses as possible.

Here are a few ideas on what you can do:

Sound

Pick your playlist wisely. Determine the atmosphere that you want to create and pick songs that enhance (and not overpower) the ambiance. Volume and beat can influence behavior, depending on who you’re selling to. For instance, while loud music may work well for retailers that target younger shoppers, the same thing can’t be said for merchants catering to adults.

Scent

Bakeries and cafes may have a slight edge here, as they can use the smell of their products to draw customers in. But you can still cater to people’s sense of smell even if you aren’t in the food industry.

Reuters cites a few great examples of scent marketing in action. Some upscale merchants for instance, “scent their baby goods department with the soothing smell of baby powder” while “Cruise lines and hotels use signature aromas in their rooms and on the brochures mailed to guests after they go home, in hopes the scent will bring back memories of a pleasant vacation and spur repeat bookings.”

Other retailers craft a scent made out of their best products. Brandi Halls, Lush’s director of brand communications for North America, told Racked that that strong scent in their stores is a mixture of their top products.

“When I walk in, I can definitely smell the Avobath bath bomb, the Karma soap, and the Vanillary perfume. These are some of our cult products,” she added.

The right scents to incorporate in your store will of course depend on your audience and business, so do your research and figure out which ones will encourage shoppers to linger and buy.

Touch

Having a “hands-on” vibe can enhance the shopper experience. One way of doing this is to take out sample products from their boxes to encourage customers to test or play with them.

Apple pioneered this approach in the electronics retail space when they launched stores that had their products out in the open instead of being inside big brown boxes (which was the norm at the time).

Consumers loved it, and soon other retailers in the computer and electronics space followed suit.

Taste

If you sell food in your store, see if you can have taste-testing stations. Again, this encourages a more hands-on shopping experience and makes it less intimidating for people.

Check out what Brandless did when in their LA pop-up store. To give people a taste of their coffee and tea, they set up a station where people can sample the products.

By the way, even if you’re not selling edible products, you can still appeal to shoppers’ sense of taste by offering nibbles and drinks that they can enjoy while shopping.

Cosmetics store Birchbox, for example, occasionally serves champagne in-store. Here’s a shot from their SoHo location in January:

7. Don’t forget to cross-merchandise

Grouping your merchandise into neat categories or departments is a great strategy, but see if you can find room to cross-merchandise different items. Identify products in your store that would go well together and put them in a single display.

View your merchandise from a customer’s perspective. For example, if you were a shopper looking at a particular dress, is there anything in the store that would go well with it?

Have a look at this display from Gymboree, which cross-merchandises a range of shirts and sweaters with a matching purse.

Here’s another cool example from Target. The top shelf showcases different brands of sunblock for kids, while the shelf directly below it has swim diapers on display. Target knows that customers shopping for swim diapers will likely need sunblock (and vice versa) so they cleverly put the products together.

8. Make sure your employees are on point

Don’t forget that your staff also plays a role in your store’s design and layout. How they are positioned in your shop can make or break your store’s appeal. Having your employees move around on the sales floor instead of staying behind the counter is a good way to make the place more inviting.

As the Retail Doctor Bob Phibbs said on his blog, “Get your employees out from behind the counter and keep them active, especially if you have windows.”

Consumers looking into your shop will be more enticed to walk in if they see people moving about. That’s why Bob recommends that merchants instruct employees to “act as if they were customers” if a store is empty in order to make it more enticing.

9. Track and measure your efforts

Last not but not least, always ask whether or not you’re making the right floor plan, design, or arrangement decisions. This is critical to making sure that you’re implementing the best strategies possible.

You and your staff should be very observant of how people behave in your store. Pay attention to where they go, where they linger, and what they do while they’re inside. Also, ask questions on what they think of your shop and what you can do to improve.

Let’s say you’re implementing a major layout or merchandising change in your store. You want to benchmark metrics like sales, traffic, and dwell time before you make the updates, and then measure the results once the changes are implemented.

Also, consider making use of foot traffic analytics solutions such as people counters, beacons, heat sensors, and more. These tools can give you deeper analytics and insights on shopper habits and behavior, so you can make data-driven decisions.

Finally, you need to ensure that your layouts and displays are being executed correctly, so conduct store audits whenever you make changes to your store. Consider using a tool such as Compliantia to evaluate your stores.