The way customers shop for groceries is going through a major change. Since the global pandemic highlighted the value of ecommerce , many consumers are switching their grocery shopping from physical stores to online marketplaces.
The global ecommerce grocery market will reach $2 trillion by 2030, accounting for a large percentage of all ecommerce sales. It’s the right time for grocery businesses to develop or upgrade their online retail models—the best place to start is your grocery ecommerce platform.
Magento is an extremely popular choice for many business owners. However, online grocery retailers can take their operations to another level by exploring other ecommerce platforms.
This article will look at viable Magento alternatives for groceries that help grocery ecommerce businesses thrive.
Is Magento an ideal fit for online grocery businesses?
Despite being one of the most commonly used ecommerce platforms, Magento is not a perfect fit for all grocery businesses. There are many reasons for this, including the high cost of ownership and long development times.
Apart from the major players in the grocery industry, like Walmart and Krogers, most online grocery stores are small or mid-sized businesses. Covering the cost of Magento’s license fee can become a challenge for them. Add to this the cost of development and store customization—none of which can be done without hiring experts—and that’s a huge expense to consider.
While the paid version of Magento, called Adobe Commerce since 2018, is prohibitively expensive for grocery ecommerce businesses, the free, open-source version also has limitations.
Here are some of them:
Complex setup and maintenance
Setting up an online grocery store on Magento can be needlessly complex. Because it has many features, plug-ins, and integrations, it takes developers a lot of time to navigate this intricate infrastructure and build a working ecommerce store.
When you pair Magento’s complicated back end with the diverse inventory stocked by online grocers, the problems multiply further. Overhauls during the development process can cause inventory management and order fulfillment to suffer.
Another factor working against Magento is that the free version does not come with technical support, which means you will have to troubleshoot all bugs internally.
Lack of grocery-specific Features
It pays to have dedicated grocery-specific features when developing an online grocery store. This is one area where the platform is sorely lacking compared to other Magento alternatives for grocery.
Magento lacks features that are essential for a grocery ecommerce store, such as bulk ordering, customizable delivery schedules, and product variations for perishable items.
Finding a platform that supports these features will help your online grocery store drive sales and elevate the customer experience.
Ecommerce beyond Magento: Alternative platforms for grocery businesses
The online grocery market is booming, with projections to generate $257 billion in revenue in 2024. This period of growth is marked by an increase in Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions available for online grocery businesses.
Your ecommerce store doesn’t have to rely only on Magento. You can set up your ecommerce grocery business using any of these platforms.
1. Shopify
Another extremely popular platform for ecommerce businesses, Shopify has several advantages over Magento when it comes to compatibility with online groceries:
- User-friendly and easy to develop.
- Many apps integrate additional online grocery features.
- More budget-friendly than Magento.
However, there are some drawbacks to using Shopify as a platform for your grocery ecommerce business.
First, you must pay transaction fees using any payment gateway other than Shopify. The options for customization are also limited, and additional plug-ins and extensions will add to the cost.
Secondly, most of the apps essential for online grocery businesses, such as timeslots, stock management per store, advanced bundle offers, product options, etc., are quite ‘basic’. To really get the most out of these apps, development experts are needed to help with the initial set-up.
2. WooCommerce
In terms of price, very few solutions are as attractive as WooCommerce. This open-source software isn’t a dedicated ecommerce platform but a WordPress plug-in. However, small- and mid-sized businesses will be comfortable using WooCommerce for online groceries because of the following features:
- It supports multi-channel sales with the help of integrations from Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.
- Includes valuable e-grocery features like one-click refunds.
- Highly customizable because of its extensive plug-in marketplace.
Though WooCommerce might be a good fit for smaller businesses, you could face some problems as you scale up. The biggest issue is that WooCommerce does not support large catalogs - a must for e-grocery. Moreover, the plugin is only compatible with WordPress-powered websites, which could lead to conflicts as you expand your grocery ecommerce operations.
3. BigCommerce
For online grocers, BigCommerce is a very attractive SaaS solution. For a monthly fee, businesses can design attractive online grocery stores and host them on the BigCommerce servers.
Here are the factors that make BigCommerce a better fit for online grocery stores compared to Magento:
- Supports over 60 different payment gateways without charging extra transaction fees.
- Minimal development time.
- Features like cart recovery are ideal for e-grocery shopping behavior.
Despite having several unique templates for grocery stores, BigCommerce still lacks customization options.
4. Wave Grocery
Online grocers need a dedicated ecommerce platform designed specifically for them. This is the biggest advantage of choosing a platform like Wave Grocery.
It is a comprehensive ecommerce platform for online grocery stores, packed full of features that improve every aspect of your business, from administration to customer experience.
For store owners, the ability to customize their store and connect with customers through push notifications helps reinforce brand image and loyalty. For shoppers, a powerful search engine, availability of fresh weighted products, and personalized shopping lists make their online grocery store visits extremely convenient.
It’s very easy for store owners to get started with Wave Grocery. As a dedicated grocery ecommerce platform, Wave Grocery has many qualities that make it stand out from other software, such as:
- An easy-to-use website configurator paired with an intuitive admin panel.
- A picker app and delivery app, which saves time and money during order fulfillment.
- Attractive pricing that bundles multiple solutions.
- A customizable, user-friendly mobile app for both iOS and Android to maximize customer engagement
- Training sessions that prepare admins and store employees to efficiently use the Wave Grocery platform
- A dedicated customer success manager at Wave Grocery and 24/7 support for serious technical issues
Wave Grocery enables businesses to set up a smooth-functioning online store with no hidden costs. The pay-as-you-go model lets you scale up operations when you’re ready without compromising the quality of your services.
Choosing the right ecommerce platform for your grocery store
As you evaluate which ecommerce platform suits your business best, take the time to weigh the following:
1. Assess your business needs
There are various business models for ecommerce grocery stores, like inventory-based and multi-vendor, and each has a different set of website requirements. Before making a decision, consider factors like inventory management, delivery options, and scalability.
2. Evaluate platform features
Ensure that your ecommerce platform of choice has grocery-specific functionalities built in. Basic features like cart management, search engines, and customer profiles are critical for smooth operations.
3. Consider budget and scalability
Open-source solutions cost less than proprietary software. However, you have the advantage of technical support with the latter.
Choose a platform that will be easy to scale as your business grows.
4. Explore user experience and support
Ensure that the user experience for shoppers is as smooth as it is on the back end. You also need robust customer support features to address emerging issues quickly.
Set up your online grocery store with ease
When you find an ecommerce platform that perfectly fits your online grocery store, you can run your business more smoothly by automating tasks, increasing sales, and improving the customer experience.
There are a few Magento alternatives for groceries out there. Try a tailor-made grocery ecommerce platform. See the difference for yourself!
