Survey: Consumers who’ve shopped online during pandemic plan to continue
A new survey by Oracle Retail found that 93% of U.S. consumers who’ve shopped for groceries online during the pandemic plan to continue doing so post-pandemic.
The survey polled more than 500 consumers in the U.S., and 53% of that group report they have bought groceries online during the pandemic, according to a news release. Among those who have bought groceries online, 37% say they have been purchasing in that channel more frequently than they have been buying groceries in stores.
Nearly all the respondents who’ve shopped online during the pandemic plan to continue doing so, and 74% expect to shop online as much as they are now or even more frequently.
“Online grocery ordering is not new, but the pandemic was the tipping point to take it mainstream,” Mike Webster, senior vice president and general manager of Oracle Retail, said in a news release. “Grocery retailers were left grappling with both supply chain issues and consumer behavior that was anything but normal, causing chaos and shortages.
“While stores navigated relatively quickly, the data shows that consumers have no plans to return to their old ways,” Webster said. “Grocers need to examine what that means for their operations, store layouts and everything in between as we all move forward.”
The trend of ordering groceries online has spanned generations, according to the release, with 72% of Gen X respondents (ages 40-54), 61% of Gen Z respondents (18-24), 60% of millennials (25-39) and 30% of baby boomers (55 and up) saying they have used the service during the pandemic.
