Dive Brief:

• Grocers are taking steps to entice customers to visit their stores as authorities lift pandemic-related restrictions aimed at keeping people from spending time in public places.
• Discount chain Save A Lot has announced a "99 Days of Summer" promotional campaign that includes digital coupons intended to be redeemed at its brick-and-mortar locations and weekend sales on items like meats cut fresh in-store, while Schnuck Markets is highlighting products such as bratwurst and tortilla chips made in its stores as part of the Midwestern retailer's "So St. Louis" marketing program.
• ​Retailers are looking to increase foot traffic in their stores as figures from the federal government show that about half of the total U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Dive Insight:

As the nation sheds the shackles imposed by the pandemic, grocery chains are responding by emphasizing the benefits for consumers of visiting their stores to go shopping.

In a press release highlighting the festive atmosphere it strives to deliver in its stores, Sprouts Farmers market underscored the attractiveness of the "treasure hunt of fresh discoveries and goodness" it offers shoppers. The announcement goes on to describe fresh and organic products the chain will offer during the coming months, including honeydew melons, candy heart grapes and raspberry apricots.

"This summer, as consumers become more comfortable making more frequent outings and socializing, we expect shoppers will spend more time looking for items that best fit their lifestyle and needs," Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair said in a statement.

Save A Lot's "99 Days of Summer" marketing campaign uses the retailer's budget-friendly image as the foundation for a series of in-store discounts it plans to offer through early September. The promotional effort will include weekly digital coupons for individual items and "scratch-offs" with savings on private label products and national brand items. Save A Lot also plans to run two-day sales on certain products, such as fresh produce and meat every weekend during the campaign.

Schnucks' "So St. Louis" campaign aims to attract shoppers by drawing attention to products it carries that reflect its decades-long connection with the Missouri city where it's based. The effort is built around a list of the “Top 16 Summer Food Items in the Lou” that includes items like gooey butter cake and ice cream, locally grown peaches and pork steaks inspired by the Schnucks family.

Research suggests that people are growing more interested in shopping in grocery stores after flocking to e-commerce channels when the COVID-19 crisis began. Online grocery sales remain significantly above pre-pandemic levels, but shrank 10% in April compared with their level the month before, according to data from Brick Meets Click.