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Study: Grocery shoppers active online, but ordering not at top of the list

4/5/2019
Shoppers engage digitally with grocers in lots of ways, from checking circulars to getting recipes. Ordering groceries, however, is not the most popular activity.

That’s according to a new study from The Retail Feedback Group, which found that 12% of overall respondents order groceries online for pickup or delivery. However, participation varies demographically. There is greater adoption in urban areas (18%) compared to suburbs (11%) and smaller towns/rural areas (7%).

Generationally, millennials show higher online grocery participation (18%) than Gen X (14%) and Boomers (6%). Interestingly, consumers with annual income over $100,000 (15%) and under $50,000 (13%) are more likely than consumers with annual income between $50,000 and $100,000 (9%).

In addition, consumers with a household size of three or more (17%) and one (12%) order groceries online more than consumers with two household members (8%).

The “2019 U.S. Supermarket Digital & Social Engagement Study” of 1,200 adult U.S. consumers, found that 63% of respondents digitally interact with their primary grocery store. Digital grocery shopping activities include:

• Check digital circular (55%)
• Build grocery lists (47%)
• Research special promotions (44%)
• Get recipes (25%)
• Receive nutritional advice (11%)
• Read blogs (9%)

The survey also tracked how consumers utilize social media. While 85% of respondents regularly follow one or more social media sites, only 30% are social friends/followers of their primary grocery store. Leading social networks used by respondents are Facebook (85%), YouTube (58%), Instagram (43%), Pinterest (33%), and Twitter (31%).

Social media can have an impact on grocery shopper behavior. Based on social network recommendations, 42% of respondents, will make a recipe or meal, 34% will purchase a new food item, 26% will shop a new store, and 13% will stop shopping a particular store.

In addition, 41% of respondents have used social media to praise a good experience in a supermarket or food store in the past year, while 22% have socially complained about a poor experience. Overall, only 58% of all social grocery commenters said they received a satisfactory or empathetic response from the company.

When it comes to receiving notifications of nightly dinner specials, grocery shoppers prefer tried-and-true communications technologies. Sixty-three percent of respondents are very/somewhat likely sign up for email messages with nightly dinner specials from their primary grocery store, compared to only 44% for social media messages and 43% for text alerts.
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