Grocery Stores Are Taking To Social Media To Attract Younger Customers

While social media may have started as a fun way to connect with friends and family, it's now considered one of the essential marketing tools for brands across the globe. In fact, the incredible success of newer companies like Crumbl Cookies (per ABC News) and Magic Spoon (via Fortune) have been credited to their impeccable social media presence. However, even businesses founded long before Instagram and Facebook made it on the scene, like Wendy's and Taco Bell, have been sure to create an impressive brand for themselves on platforms like Twitter and TikTok.

But no matter how long a business has been around, building a presence on these apps is usually in an effort to attract the attention of the most social media-involved generation yet — Gen Z. And now that Zoomers have shown to have less food brand loyalty and a tendency to only shop with businesses they can trust (per Rolling Stone), the grocery store industry is also starting to turn to social media to attempt to break the ice with younger customers (per Grocery Dive).

According to Grocery Dive, during a Groceryshop panel held on September 20, experts advised retailers on effectively marketing to Gen Z. Those on the panel explained that the best strategy for getting more business from Zoomers is to stomp out traditional ads and ramp up social media content. The outlet noted that TikTok, in particular, is currently a marketing must for grocery stores because over half of the app's 1 billion members are Gen Z.

And the proof of how impactful marketing through social media can be is in the numbers. For example, Target, which is one of Gen Z's most shopped-in grocers (The Food Institute), has established an Instagram account with 5.1 million followers — which may be partially thanks to the company's tendency to participate in online trends, like this summer's "Little Miss" meme.

While taking to social media is the grocery store industry's latest push to get Gen Z on its side, it's not its first. Because Zoomers have shown they care a great deal about sustainable food, Gen Z-loved brands like Trader Joe's have been known to launch campaigns to showcase their products' eco-friendliness (via Trader Joe's). But only time will tell if grocery stores' adjusted marketing strategies will earn them more Gen Z customers in the long term.