Seventy-three percent of consumers have purchased grocery items online within the most recent three months of being surveyed, up from 17 percent in 2017, according to research from Power Reviews. In addition, 61 percent of consumers shop for groceries online more now than they did pre-COVID.
The top reasons for shopping online include time savings (59 percent), personal safety (49 percent), and avoiding impulse purchases (31 percent).
However, brick-and-mortar shopping is still thriving. Ninety-three percent of consumers have made an in-store grocery purchase within the most recent three months of being surveyed. Of the consumers who have shopped online for groceries, 95 percent also made an in-store purchase within the same time period.
Power Reviews noted that “while consumers are still shopping in person, the way they navigate the aisles and information they use to make purchasing decisions is changing.”
For example, 87 percent of shoppers use their mobile phone as a tool while shopping in a physical grocery store, as compared to 59 percent in 2017. The most popular activities in-store grocery shoppers are using their phones for are finding and redeeming coupons (67 percent), reviewing shopping lists (47 percent), and reading product ratings and reviews (42 percent.)
Related: Report: Innovation, Pandemic Shopping Habits to Continue; Grocers Have Invested $24 Billion Amid Pandemic.