About 10% of U.S. consumers regularly buy groceries online, but nearly all online grocery shoppers still shop in brick-and-mortar grocery stores, according to The NPD Group.
Top barriers to shopping online include interest in hand-picking fresh items and avoiding a delivery fee. Forty-six percent of consumers who aren’t online grocery shopping enthusiasts feel it’s faster to go to a brick-and-mortar store.
About 46% of consumers who are lapsed online grocery shoppers or have never shopped online prefer walking through a store as it reminds them of what else they need.
While a growing number of consumers are enticed by the benefits of online grocery shopping, such as being able to shop from home, price comparisons, speed and not having to wait in lines, those benefits aren’t enough to make them do all of their grocery shopping online.
The answer may be an omnichannel approach, which many of the major grocers now offer. There is a place for pure-play ecommerce grocers, but consumers still want a seamless experience between brick-and-mortar and ecommerce, NPD notes.
For the full story, go to this week’s Food Institute Report.