The 2 Cultures of Online Grocery

10/4/2019

Major shifts are occurring in the types of products shoppers are willing to buy online and the frequency with which they purchase certain categories

Shoppers are revealing more venturesome attitudes and behaviors when it comes to digital purchases of shelf-stable products compared with fresh products. In response, retailers are trying to accommodate shoppers that are embracing the convenience of online ordering for nonperishables, but still enjoy the experience of selecting fresh foods.

Online grocery is growing across all major departments, albeit at varying rates. What makes omnichannel grocery a complex business are the segment’s many food barriers that don’t exist in other retail channels.

These are among the actionable insights from the IDC report, commissioned by global retail strategy and analytics company Precima, "Personalization in Digital Food Retail: Shoppers Expect More." The report compiles data from web-based surveys of 4,000 consumers and 445 retailers in North America, France, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom.

Read more of the article by Brian Ross, president of Toronto-based Precima, on the website of Progressive Grocer sister publication Retail Leader.