What Is Your Digital Readiness Score?

By: Doug Baker, Vice President Industry Relations – Private Brands, Technology, Loss Prevention, Food Marketing Institute

When asked if you are digital ready, are you a novice, dabbler, connected commerce catalyst or are you ready, willing and digital already?

Today’s groundbreaking convergence of new consumer preferences, technology and business models creates an imperative for the entire food retailing industry to act.

Whether the future of food retailing lies with brick-and-mortar stores, online operators or a combination of both is not the question to ask. The real challenge is to ask ourselves how ready are we to leverage digital technology and operational changes to engage and augment physical interactions? If we are to take advantage of what could be a critical business opportunity, here are some of the questions our industry must ask itself:

• Which digital tools can brick-and-mortar stores use to compete for the shopper?
• What can manufacturers and retailers do to support the digital shopper?
• What are the key challenge areas in the digital collaboration model?
• How can you adapt your organization with the most impact to leverage digital to augment the physical interaction with a shopper?

With disruption taking place throughout retailing and e-commerce, now is the time to innovate, collaborate and partner in new and different ways. That is why FMI has undertaken at least three key strategic partnerships and projects that will allow the industry to uncover the potential of digital transformation.

Take the 5-minute Digital Ready Online Assessment – Receive Your Rating and a Free White Paper

As a result of our three-year strategic alliance with Nielsen, we have built a dedicated resource site that allows you to, 1) assess your connected commerce readiness, and 2) rate your business in six areas most important to online grocery shoppers.  You’ll rate your organization on trust, value, experience, assortments, convenience and personalization. At the end of your assessment, you will receive a rating of novice, dabbler, connected commerce catalyst or ready, willing and digital.

In addition, after your assessment, you can download the Digitally Engaged Food Shopper Report. The cumulative of all the online assessments will be discussed at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference, January 26-29, 2018 in Miami. Preliminary findings from the assessment show there are key challenges in areas of master data inaccuracy, suboptimal marketing and duplicative organizational structures. Take your assessment today at FMI.org/DigitalShopper.