Study: Most grocery purchases still made at the store — here's why
Convenience continues to be the main driver of omnichannel grocery shopping, with a large majority of shoppers citing it as the top reason for using pickup and delivery services.
That’s according to 84.51°’s February Consumer Digest, which analyzed the behaviors of Kroger shoppers. The report found that despite 40% of “omni-shoppers” reporting that they shop mostly in-store and 40% saying they mostly shop online, most purchases are still made at the store (83%). Nearly one-in-five (17%) shopping purchases are pickup/delivery.
Nearly half (46%) of omnichannel shoppers say that they spend less time ordering online compared to in-store, and over 80% of these shoppers who use pickup/delivery cite convenience as the reason for doing so. More than 60% of shoppers said they preferred orders fulfilled directly by the retailer instead of a third-party platform, while 24% said they had no preference.
When it comes to the top items ordered in-store, fresh baked goods (77%), produce (75%), deli/meat/seafood (74%) and dairy items (52%) were the most popular choices. Items that were most popular with pickup/delivery were paper products (76%), shelf-stable grocery (75%), household cleaning (72%), and pet food (70%).
Over 80% of omnichannel shoppers said that order accuracy and availability are important when shopping online, and 23% will shift their spending elsewhere if items are out of stock. If an item is out of stock, 77% said they will purchase the item immediately in-store or during their next online or in-store purchase. However, 19% said they will buy the out of stock item online elsewhere, and 4% will move to a different retailer that has the item and abandon the entire cart, showcasing the importance of availability for retailer retention.
84.51° found that omnichannel shoppers are increasingly searching online for shopping list inspiration. Sixty percent said they use the store website or app for ideas, while almost half (46%) are using social media as inspiration for their shopping lists.