Consumer Behavior

Slight uptick in online grocery shopping

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September 26, 2023

There has been a slight uptick in online grocery shopping, compared to last year, with 55% of grocery shoppers buying groceries online at least some of the time.

That's a top finding from a study from Acosta Group on shopper attitudes and online grocery activity, which found the upward trend in online grocery shopping is being driven by consumers who are shopping online regularly but still shopping in store most of the time, according to a press release.

"We learned in this year's study that frequent online grocery shoppers are up to 50% more likely to purchase perishables such as breads and pastries, dairy, produce and frozen for pick-up or delivery, which we attribute to a higher level of trust and familiarity with the fulfillment processes," Kathy Risch, SVP consumer insights and trends, Acosta Group, said in the release.

When it comes to placing an order, 49% of online shoppers are starting at a retailer's website or app with their lists, and 85% are using digital coupons — though the latter number rises to 90% with higher-income shoppers.

For grocery pickup shoppers, 80% are also going into the store when picking up their order, either because they forgot to purchase an item online or they prefer to personally select specific items.

Most online grocery shoppers (63%) will consistently use one type of fulfillment method.

"Delivery shoppers often want the items fast," Risch said in the release. "38% are using delivery options of 3-hours or less, and men are far more willing to pay a higher fee for speed."