Chatmeter Report Provides Actionable Steps for Grocery Brands to Maintain Local Reputation Amidst Crisis

Chatmeter, the leader in local search marketing and review management, today releases new insights that support grocery brands amidst the fast-evolving impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US. Chatmeter’s Local Brand Report: Reputation’s Role in The Grocery Industry provides actionable steps for reaching and supporting local shoppers now while protecting brand reputation over time.

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Embarking on its most significant transformation to date, the $678.4 billion grocery industry is managing local fallout of an unprecedented global pandemic, from panic-buying and stock depletion to local closures and store restrictions. Coupled with an increasingly intense market of alternatives, such as meal kits, delivery and online ordering, the resilience and success of brick and mortar grocery relies on understanding how consumers discover and experience local stores.

To ensure brands have the insights and benchmarks to best prioritize marketing and customer engagement during this transitory time, Chatmeter analyzed real customer and business data of 10 top US grocery brands. Insights determine the strength of online visibility, customer sentiment and reputation for: Albertsons, Aldi, Costco, H-E-B, Kroger, Publix, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods.

“The grocery industry is facing unprecedented pressures as it has quickly become the beacon of local communities and a main source for any and all consumer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Collin Holmes, Founder & CEO, Chatmeter. “As brands continue going to inspirational lengths to support shoppers, it is paramount they can ensure customers are getting accurate information, positive engagement and nearby options both now and in the future.”

Chatmeter’s Local Brand Report: Reputation’s Role in The Grocery Industry

Highlights include:

• Utilizing unbranded keywords is essential for shoppers to find you in a time of need – as a whole, grocery brands can most improve their optimization of unbranded keywords, which directly correlates to how high they rank in local searches. In times like this, shoppers are less likely to be brand loyal when searching. Consumers are more likely to search for “Groceries” rather than “Trader Joe’s” in their moment of need.
• Consumer trust & revenue relies on accessible and accurate online business listings – an estimated $10.3 billion in revenue is lost each year due to inaccurate listings. Shoppers must be able to quickly find accurate information such as hours, special hours like holidays or emergency closures, phone number and address.
• Engaging with shopper questions and reviews online can create an industry leader – only 1 out of 10 grocers in this report respond to customer reviews, leaving most grocers wide open to misinformation about their brand. Responding to customer reviews and Google Q&A queries, in general, and especially during a crisis, supports positive customer experience and provides an opportunity to rise above the nearby competition.
• Helping shoppers discover with voice will provide longevity over digitally-native competitors – as 82% of consumers worldwide use voice search to find local information, having voice-friendly content online is critical. Grocers that focus on search rankings and optimize for voice search have the best chance at continuing to rival new alternatives like delivery, meal prep and online ordering.

Chatmeter collected data across a sample size of 50 locations for each of the 10 grocery brands in the report. Analysis focused on local business listings, search rankings and online reviews from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 and was conducted via Chatmeter’s proprietary tools including its Local Brand Visibility Score™ (LBV) and text and sentiment analysis tool, Pulse.

To learn more about how to keep your brand healthy in the wake of crises like COVID-19, visit: https://www.chatmeter.com/covid-19-resources/ or find your brand’s LBV score at: www.chatmeter.com/get-started.

About Chatmeter

Consumers have high expectations for brands to deliver accurate information with convenience. Chatmeter (www.chatmeter.com) gives multi-location brands the tools to manage the online to offline customer journey by focusing on improving online reputation, business listings and local SEO rankings.

Established in 2009, Chatmeter now analyzes billions of customer reviews, social media mentions and sentiments from hundreds of sources to help businesses keep a pulse on all of their locations. Fortune 5000 companies rely on Chatmeter’s expertise in multi-location brand management to make confident business decisions that provide a competitive advantage at every location. From search rankings to business listings, store pages and more, Chatmeter is the trusted solution for driving traffic and revenue to local businesses in over 40 industries including retail, healthcare, financial services, real estate, food services, and automotive.

Chatmeter is the recipient of top accolades including the Inc. 5000, Entrepreneur 360 and Street Fight Local Visionary Awards, as well as local San Diego recognition as a Top Workplace by the Union-Tribune.

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