The dividing line between last-mile food delivery, restaurant delivery and full-assortment delivery, as well as who delivers in the last mile, will continue to blur as brands develop new hybrids that adapt to the geographical area and the customer market they serve. The growing desire of customers for speed, convenience and contactless shopping options is driving a huge increase in third-party delivery and in the use of eGrocery. To support further development of the theory, this study presents six proposals on the types, forms and determinants of customer expectations in the face of unattended grocery delivery. This study contains the first in-depth analysis of customer expectations for unsupervised grocery delivery services, which are increasingly being used for last-mile electronic grocery delivery.
Situational factors raise consumer expectations about unsupervised grocery delivery services. A study conducted in five countries reveals that fast home delivery of food could make consumers more loyal to the grocery stores that offer them. This study provides managers with up-to-date information on customer expectations and provides guidance for designing and developing unsupervised grocery delivery services. In relation to the daily stress triggers mentioned above, most households reported that their schedules could change unexpectedly, making it difficult to plan food deliveries.
Consumers expect the combination of in-service forms they want for unattended grocery delivery services. Consumers have become accustomed to shopping this way and are likely to continue, continuing with the combination of in-store, curbside and home delivery options. Despite the contributions of these studies, little is known about customer expectations regarding unsupervised grocery delivery services. The findings of the case study indicate that households expect that unsupervised food delivery will help them save time, gain flexibility and benefit from the ease of use of the service.
The next section presents the findings of the case study and provides a set of proposals on the forms and determinants of customer expectations in relation to unsupervised food delivery. The Capgemini study revealed that retailers currently charge customers only 80% of the total cost of grocery delivery, and deliveries are now the most expensive part of the supply chain for those retailers. Exhaustive models are particularly relevant to customer expectations about e-grocery delivery services, as many points of contact with market players stimulate psychology, the decision-making process, and consumer expectations before the delivery experience.