Australians are curious about the benefits of buying their groceries online, but the majority don’t feel the need to make a permanent transition as they remain content with the current offerings provided by the bricks and mortar stores, reports customer satisfaction research and ratings business Canstar Blue.
Based on a survey of 6,014 Australians, it said consumers often prefer to physically inspect certain grocery items before purchasing them, particularly when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products and meats.
“However, 42% of the 1,474 adults who have bought groceries online in the last six months said they expect to do the majority of their shopping this way in future. And as online grocery retailers continue to develop their services, it seems a reasonable assumption that more and more consumers will choose to shop this way in the coming years, even if it is only occasionally.”
Of those who had ordered groceries online in the last six months, just one in five choose do all of their shopping this way, Canstar Blue said.
Its research also found:
Who buys their groceries online?
- women (27%) are more likely than men (21%) to have bought groceries online in the last six months
- but of those who have done so, men (22%) were more likely than women (18%) to do all of their grocery shopping this way
- adults aged in their 30s were most likely to have bought groceries online in the last six months (37%), followed by 18-29 year-olds (30%) and consumers in their 40s (29%)
Why people buy groceries online
- 35% of consumers buy their groceries online because it’s easier than shopping in a physical store
- 24% struggle to find time to shop in-store
- 17% believe it’s cheaper buying online
- 7% don’t like visiting supermarkets
- the majority of survey respondents (55%) always use the same website when they buy their groceries online, but 36% have tried more than one online grocery store
- most consumers (64%) are inclined to click onto the website of the supermarket chain they usually buy from in person
What people don’t like about buying groceries online
- 30% of online shoppers cited delivery costs as the biggest cause of complaint
- 18% said their greatest issue was receiving replacement items for products that were unavailable
- 15% found uncertain delivery times their main bugbear
How much people spend when buying groceries online
- More than half of consumers (58%) said they tend to spend less online than they would if they bought their groceries from a bricks and mortar store.
- While a previous Canstar Blue survey found consumers spend an average of $138 per week when they buy groceries in-store, the average for respondents in this survey was a $130 spend on their weekly online shop.
“It’s worth remembering, said Canstar Blue, “that buying online arguably makes you less likely to impulse buy other products that perhaps weren’t on your shopping list in the first place. Shopping online could also make you more price-conscious and willing to select a cheaper option if it’s available. You could argue that shopping online allows you to pay closer attention to your spending, when it’s easier to get carried away in store.”
Read the results here: http://www.canstarblue.com.au/retailers/online-grocery/
Online shop image: by Namakkalshowroom (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons