Online grocery shoppers swayed by savings: Report

Shoppers are increasingly turning online when shopping for food, household goods, and health and beauty care (HBC) products. They're also looking to save money, as 68% of online grocery shoppers said using coupons and discounts to save money was the most important factor when shopping, according to Valassis’ "2K19 Coupon Intelligence Report."

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of consumers still purchase all of their food in-store, but online shopping has increased year over year, with an increase of 44% for food, 40% for HBC products and 38% for household items.

Much of this online purchasing behaviour is driven by savings and convenience. Online grocery shoppers are prominent coupon advocates, with 65% using them always or very often, versus 45% of all consumers. To benefit from enhanced savings, 60% always or very often load coupons onto loyalty/frequent shopper cards, versus 40% of all respondents. Meanwhile, 36% of all consumers would use more coupons if they were able to use them in any store or online--about a quarter avoid shopping online because they can’t use coupons or get in-store deals.

Online shopping still has some drawbacks, however. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of online shoppers miss the sensory experience of touching and smelling produce, while 62% find it frustrating when they can’t use coupons or discounts, and 62% are uncomfortable with having someone else pick out their produce or other perishable items.

Valassis found 77% of online grocery shoppers are between 18 and 44 years old, skewing more heavily toward millennials, younger Gen Xers, males, and households with an average income of US$80,900. The top reasons that consumers are shopping online include saving time (66%); a larger selection of products (66%); easier than shopping in-store (65%); and less expensive than shopping in brick-and-mortar venues (59%).

A version of this article appeared at ProgressiveGrocer.com.