Speed and convenience are key for grocery shoppers: Study

Convenience is still king for Canadian grocery shoppers.

According to a new study, the number-one reason a shopper chooses a grocery store is that it’s close to home or work (53% for grocery compared to 36% for non-grocery). That’s followed by “I buy at this retailer often or all the time” (47% for grocery vs. 31% for non-grocery), and good value for money (44% for grocery vs. 40% for non-grocery).

Thirty-three percent said they pick a grocery retailer because they belong to the loyalty program, compared to just 16% for non-grocery.

The study is a collaboration between Retail Council of Canada (RCC), RCC’s Marketing Advisory Council, Google Canada and research tool WisePlum. The researchers surveyed 5,000 Canadian shoppers in every major retail vertical, asking them about their preferences, expectations and needs of retailers.

“Convenience is a ginormous factor for grocery shoppers… They are convenience shoppers by far and that theme continues throughout the study,” says Paula Courtney, product founder at WisePlum, a collaboration between LoyaltyOne and Verde Group.

For instance, the survey found a significantly larger percentage of grocery consumers (44% vs. 30% for non-grocery) indicated a desire for faster checkout.

“Long lineups are a massive issue… And the single biggest difference in terms of what grocery shoppers want from their retailer is a more seamless, expedited checkout experience in the store,” says Courtney.

The study also found that overall, the online shopping experience is “fraught with friction,” says Courtney. More than one-third (67%) of those surveyed reported having a problem with online purchases, while only 41% of consumers said the same of in-store purchases. The top two complaints about online shopping were “experienced a problem purchasing” (55%) and “was forced to log-in/sign-up to complete purchase (26%).”

What does this suggest for Canadian grocers? “We know that the brick-and-mortar consumer is a convenience buyer. We also know that they want a faster, more improved checkout experience,” says Courtney. “So, had better knock it out of the park when go online for that grocery shop.”