A recent study found that the percentage of shoppers who buy groceries online has doubled in the past five years.
However, there are still a lot of people who are hesitant to make this switch.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the statistics surrounding online grocery shopping and try to understand why it’s becoming so popular.
Check out our findings below!
Editor Choice: Online Grocery Shopping Statistics
- 45% of Millennials and 44% Gen Z shoppers in the USA are primarily shopping for groceries online.
- 18% of Baby Boomers shop for groceries online which is a low rate as compared to Millennials and Gen Z.
- As of mid-2020 because of the pandemic, there was a 202% rise in online grocery web searches for delivery.
- Online grocery shopping sales pushed it past $100 billion in spending for the first time in 2021.
- By 2023, online grocery sales are estimated upto 11.2% of total U.S. grocery sales.
- It was estimated that the yearly spending per buyer to be $728 for 2020 and $818 for 2021. By 2023 the expected per buyer spending will be more than $1,000.
- Online grocery sales in the US are estimated to reach $187.7 billion by 2024.
- About 22% of consumers purchase groceries online at least once per week.
- In the year 2020, the online grocery shoppers aged 14 years and older in the United States (who made an online purchase at least once during that year) jumped 42.6% to 131.6 million.
1. 34% of US consumers have shopped for groceries online.
(BusinessWire)
As more and more individuals get used to shopping for groceries online, they are forming the habit of doing so in order to avoid having to make the journey to the store in person. In fact, sales data indicate that 29 percent of consumers in the United States make purchases on a weekly basis.
The popularity of online grocery shopping is increasing significantly. Both established merchants and new market entrants are upgrading their delivery choices and services to better fulfill the requirements and expectations of their consumers, resulting in a more enjoyable online shopping experience.
2. People tend to spend nearly $40 more when grocery shopping online.
(OneSpace)
Due to the fact that you cannot visually see the contents of your cart build up when you shop online, individuals tend to spend more money when they do their grocery shopping this way compared to other methods of shopping.
Shopping at shops, on the other hand, may really save you money. When we are exploring an online shop, we tend to purchase more than we need since we are not aware of how fast our basket is filling up.
3. 45% of Millennials do their grocery shopping online.
(NCR)
According to this research, younger generations are more adaptable to new methods of doing things than older generations, which explains why young people are more likely than older people to buy groceries online, and statistics support this assertion as well. The millennial generation has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to conducting their grocery shopping online, but generation X is catching up and adapting, with a significant increase in use expected to reach 44 percent by 2020.
4. More than 60% of offline grocery shoppers consider buying new brands.
(OneSpace)
Offline consumers are more likely to actively seek out new brands than online shoppers. Customers are more likely to try new items because of the dynamic shop atmosphere. They are far more susceptible to being influenced by designs and packaging than those who buy goods online. This is something that brands are taking into consideration, and they are creating various tactics for both online and offline encounters.
5. Downloads of some online grocery shopping apps exceed 200%, the grocery delivery industry is booming.
(CNN Business)
As a result of the epidemic, individuals were becoming more interested in food shopping applications on smartphones. In only one year, the number of people who use applications like Instacart, Walmart, and Shipt has grown by 218 percent, 160 percent, and 124 percent, respectively, according to data from AppData. Increasing amounts of money are being invested by businesses to make internet purchasing a more enjoyable experience than it has ever been.
6. Out of all categories, in 2020, food and beverage were likely to experience the highest annual growth at 58.5%.
(eMarketer)
This year, the food and beverage industry is expected to expand at a faster rate than the rest of the economy. The unexpected truth is that this category used to be one of the least popular for online grocery shopping, which is a rarity these days. Retailers are beginning to provide same-day delivery, or even delivery within a few hours of placing an order, which has fueled the growth of the food and beverage sector. Previously, consumers preferred to purchase drinks straight from the store. Consequently, as a result of the flu epidemic, individuals began to prefer online purchasing for almost everything, including food and drinks.
7. 75% of online grocery shoppers have remained loyal to their first online store.
(The Atlantic)
Different studies have shown varying degrees of customer loyalty and repurchases among internet consumers. On the one hand, humans are resistant to change, which is why, after the epidemic, many turned to the internet and switched platforms. After being vaccinated, a significant number of individuals who are still not completely used to grocery shopping online may choose to return to traditional grocery shops. Even if the rapid growth spurts that occurred during the epidemic will be reduced, the sector will continue to expand and is expected to account for more than 10% of total US grocery sales. Common and retailers have reaped the benefits of this, and they are rewarding loyal consumers with incentives to provide them with even more reasons to stay around. It will be fascinating to see whether this holds true over the next several years and if the trend continues. Stores are taking use of the chance presented by pandemics to encourage their consumers to remain loyal to them by offering offers and discounts.
8. Grocery shopping accounts for 39% of voice-based orders.
(Wise Guy Reports)
When you think about it, the ability to buy groceries online via smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant using voice commands seems very handy. Following the advent of this technology, online merchants took advantage of the chance to set new standards for online consumers in order to make their lives simpler. Because of the simplicity with which voice commands can be used to place orders, the revolutionary artificial intelligence technology of voice commands has made its way into the online shopping sector.
9. Online shoppers’ declining interest in longer delivery and pickup windows.
(NielsenIQ)
The desire for delivery time varies depending on the demographics of the population. According to the findings of this research, the greater the size of the family, the greater the level of worry over same-day delivery. According to Instacart’s data, 85 percent of online consumers requested delivery in two hours or less while shopping online. The success and development of this industry will be determined by how well merchants satisfy the growing needs and expectations of online consumers.
10. Growth in online grocery shopping may slow down as the vaccine will come out and shoppers will feel comfortable returning to stores.
(Emarketer)
After being vaccinated, a significant number of individuals who are still not completely used to grocery shopping online may choose to return to traditional grocery shops. Because of the simplicity with which limitations may be implemented, online food shopping will decline, but many consumers will continue to buy online because it is more convenient and simple. Even if the rapid growth spurts that occurred during the epidemic will be reduced, the sector will continue to expand and is expected to account for more than 10% of total US grocery sales.
Conclusion
On the one hand, the outbreak of Covid-19 resulted in a boom in the online grocery industry, which is expected to rise at a rate of 20 percent each year. Prior to the epidemic, the online grocery sector accounted for just around 2-3 percent of overall grocery sales in the United States. The increase in the number of covid consumers is proving to be a source of difficulties for merchants in meeting the ever-increasing demands of their clients. It would be fascinating to observe how many people continue to use the internet to buy food once the limitations have been lifted. It is probable that the average basket size of an online consumer will be larger due to the fact that the cart will not be physically filled. People who buy online are more likely to be young and to come from metropolitan families than traditional consumers.
