Online grocery shopping gets strong feedback; consumers plan to increase spend
When it comes to online food shopping, the grocery sector has earned the highest customer satisfaction.
According to the latest study from The Feedback Group, supermarkets earned a 4.45 approval rating (five-point scale), outperforming the overall average of 4.24, and beat other sectors including mass (4.25), club (4.18), value (4.01) and dollar (3.68). Supermarkets also out-ranked Amazon (4.32) in terms of customer satisfaction.
The Feedback Group’s survey confirms that online grocery shopping is “firmly entrenched” in consumer behavior. Roughly eight-in-10 (79%) shoppers plan to maintain or increase their online shopping over the next year. Online ordering methods are changing for supermarkets as well, with delivery (52%) surpassing pickup (48%).
“Supermarkets continue to lead the way in online grocery satisfaction, demonstrating strong execution in convenience, fulfillment, and service,” said Brian Numainville, principal at The Feedback Group. “As a channel, supermarket investments in e-commerce capabilities have clearly paid off, but there’s still room for improvement.”
Nearly half (48%) of respondents said they are spending more of their grocery budget online than they did last year. Still, 90% of online shoppers also shop at a physical food store.
[READ MORE: Delivery propels online grocery sales to 16% increase in January]
The survey found that older shoppers are more satisfied with online grocery shopping than younger generations. Boomers (4.36) rated their experience highest, followed by Gen X (4.26), while millennials (4.16) and Gen Z shoppers (4.05) were less satisfied. The Feedback Group says that younger shoppers who are more accustomed to seamless digital experiences across industries may have higher expectations for online grocery services.
As the online grocery market continues to grow, new technology is playing a key role. Nearly one-in-five (19%) online grocery shoppers used artificial intelligence-powered features like chatbots and smart shopping lists in their most recent order. Almost half (46%) of shoppers said they would be interested in using voice commands to add items to their cart if their online grocery provider offered the features.
"Shoppers are gradually becoming more comfortable with AI-powered tools, and the demand for voice shopping capabilities is growing,” added Numainville. “Retailers who integrate these technologies thoughtfully can enhance convenience and drive stronger customer loyalty.”
Despite having the highest customer satisfaction by sector, consumers still had some pain points when buying groceries online. Thirty-percent of shoppers did not receive all the items they ordered, with 11% stating they still wound-up needing something they ordered. Confidence in fresh produce quality lags behind other grocery categories, with only 73% of shoppers expressing confidence in the quality of produce ordered online.
Other “wants” from consumers for online grocery shopping are centered around faster service and sustainability. Nearly half (44%) of shoppers would pay an extra fee for guaranteed two-hour delivery. A quarter (25%) of shoppers said sustainable/recyclable packaging is very important for their online orders.
The Feedback Group interviewed 1,230 online grocery shoppers for its report.
