How grocery brands differentiate their DTC sites with personalised products
- We share five examples of product personalisation from our Grocery DTC Benchmarking Study 2025
- Personalised products add value and give shoppers a reason to buy direct
- Mass-market grocery brands such as Cadbury and Heinz have created gifting propositions to differentiate their DTC ecommerce sites
No consumer is going to search online, purchase and pay delivery costs on a simple grocery item they can pick off a supermarket shelf. Yet lots of grocery brands have launched direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites. So what’s making shoppers hit the buy button? Our latest research reveals that grocery brands differentiate their DTC websites with personalised products.
When we benchmark the customer experience provided by DTC ecommerce sites, one of the aspects we consider is how they add value and provide compelling reasons for shoppers to buy direct. In our Grocery DTC Benchmarking Study 2025 – analysing the ecommerce stores of 10 well-known food brands – one finding that stood out was how many offered fun and interesting personalised products: particularly to provide gifting options.
Below we showcase some of our favourite examples of grocery brands differentiating their DTC sites with personalised products to add value and delight their customers.
1. Cadbury: Make it Personal with Chocolate
Cadbury’s shop site, www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk, allows customers to create personalised chocolate bars, perfect for gifts or special occasions. Shoppers can select from a range of chocolate bars and add their own custom message or name, or even upload photos to make the product uniquely theirs.
Why we love it: The gift of a bar of chocolate is already a sure-fire hit, but the personalised elements elevate it into something more meaningful, turning a simple treat into a cherished memory. Whether it’s bought as a fun stocking filler or a surprise for a loved one, it’s guaranteed to bring on a smile.
2. Heinz: Put a Name on Their Favourite Condiments
Heinz offers shoppers the chance to personalise many of its iconic products, such as condiment bottles or cans of soup. From ketchup to spaghetti hoops, customers can add names or short phrases, creating the perfect quirky gift for food lovers (or a way to clearly label your own ketchup to keep other people’s hands off!).
Why we love it: Perfect for the foodie in your life, a personalised Heinz bottle combines practicality with a personal touch. It’s a standout option for those hard-to-shop-for loved ones, and ideal for any Heinz lover. The unique option to personalise a tin of soup is fun and unusual, one of our favourite examples of how brands are utilising personalised products.
3. Godiva: Custom Chocolate Gift Boxes with a Touch of Luxury
Godiva offers an elegant solution for chocolate lovers with its personalised chocolate gift boxes. Shoppers can choose everything from the box type to the chocolates and treats inside and can even add a custom ribbon for a luxurious finishing touch.
Why we love it: With its premium feel, a bespoke Godiva box is a thoughtful gift for anyone who enjoys an indulgence, or as an indulgent treat for yourself. The various customisation options make it easy to tailor each box to suit any taste, making it the perfect versatile option.
4. Teapigs: Create the Perfect Brew with Pick ’n Mix Tea
Teapigs’ customisable "pick ’n mix" feature allows shoppers to create their own assortment from a wide variety of teas, an ideal option for tea lovers who want to try new flavours. Alternatively, shoppers can select their favourite tea bags to create a personalised gift set for the tea lover in their life, complete with the option to add a custom message to the box.
Why we love it: Thoughtful and practical, this feature lets you curate a tea selection tailored to the recipient’s preferences, ensuring it’s both a useful and tasty gift. It also gives tea lovers control over their orders, offering customers an engaging way to interact with the brand.
5. M&M’s: Design Your Own Treats
M&M’s offers a "design your own" feature where shoppers can create custom M&M’s, complete with personalised messages, images and colours. Once the chocolates have been designed, shoppers have a wide variety of packaging to choose from, including personalised options.
Why we love it: Customisable M&M’s are playful, personal and versatile. They’re perfect for adding a fun touch to celebrations or creating a one-of-a-kind gift, and we love the sheer variety of customisable options that they offer.
Why do grocery brands need to differentiate their DTC sites with personalised products?
In a competitive market, personalised products offer a brilliant opportunity for grocery brands to stand out. It gives fans of the brand an emotional connection to their purchases and makes them more likely to return. During the holiday season, personalised gifts are especially appealing, offering something a little different from what can be picked up at a store and providing an incremental revenue stream for the brand. Indeed, a personalised version of somebody’s favourite condiment or snack is the perfect fun stocking filler (and something the author of this blog has bought for her boyfriend!).
Whether it’s a bespoke chocolate bar or a custom ketchup bottle, the ability for customers to personalise products shows how grocery brands are turning everyday items into something unique and memorable. As brands continue to embrace added value features such as personalised products, the potential to create memorable customer experiences is limitless.
Personalised products are just one way grocery brands are innovating their DTC propositions. To learn more about how these brands and others are creating memorable digital experiences, building brand loyalty, and getting consumers to buy their products direct, download the Grocery DTC Ecommerce report today.
If you would like to discuss the research findings or want to learn more about how Inviqa could support your ecommerce or DTC efforts, we’d love to hear from you.
