An Online Grocery Landscape Report from Acosta found that many shoppers who started buying groceries online over the past two years will continue to do so.
As the pandemic grew over the past two years, nearly 60% of consumers reported they started buying groceries online, and nearly one in five said they plan to continue online grocery shopping in 2023.
Half of U.S. consumers said they have been occasionally buying online groceries, but many consumers have adapted to the idea of shopping online for groceries.
“More than half of American households are buying groceries online at least occasionally, compelling the need for retailers to provide more personalized and enhanced experiences around value, convenience, and food discovery in order to increase their share of omnichannel shoppers,” John Carroll, chief growth officer at Acosta, said in a press release.
Store loyalty was also a factor. According to the report, 57% of online grocery shoppers said they shop with the same retailers online and in-store. It was also found that seven in 10 online pickup shoppers actually go into the store to pick up their orders, and then grab an item they may have forgotten, or make additional selections in person to purchase.
In addition, “Since most online grocery consumers shop the same retailers online and in-store, the brands and retailers that offer strong online and in-store shopping solutions are best positioned to win by nurturing even deeper consumer loyalty. And as wallets tighten due to inflation, and shoppers do more pre-shop planning online, an omnichannel focus becomes even more critical,” Carroll added.
The Acosta report surveyed more than 750 U.S. online grocery shoppers across a wide range of age groups and behaviors in June.