Research examines changing channels of grocery retail
E-commerce grocery shoppers are multi-faceted, though they skew toward Millennial age groups and people living in urban areas.
Since the first modern-day supermarket opened nearly a century ago, there had been little change in the grocery retail space, until very recently with the emerging popularity of e-commerce. While other online retail had seen growth early on, the trend took longer to make its mark on grocery. In fact, new research and insights from Acosta, Jacksonville, Fla., show that 97% of all CPG dollars are still being spent in brick-and-mortar retail stores. However, the ability to click and collect and purchase boxed-meal delivery services is evidence that U.S. grocery shoppers are warming to online retail, as 28% now prefer to purchase groceries online regularly.
“Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods is the perfect example of how the CPG landscape is changing and how technology and online retail have created a shift in the way people shop for groceries,” says Colin Stewart, senior vice president. “While e-commerce is growing in this space, retailers still have a leg up, as our research has shown the majority of grocery shoppers are still making purchases in store and they find value in doing so.”