Less impulsive online

 

e-commerce, keyboard, online, shopping, trolley, iconOnline grocery shoppers tend to buy fewer impulse purchases online than in store, resulting in smaller basket sizes.

According to a consumer survey of 1154 online grocery shoppers in the UK by eDigitalResearch, 29 per cent of respondents feel they make far fewer impulse purchases online than in store.

In comparison, just seven per cent said they purchase more additional impulse buys online than they do in a store, highlighting a significant potential threat for retailers and their bottom lines,
especially as more and more consumers switch to online shopping.

Derek Eccleston, commercial director at eDigitalResearch said the growth of online has the ability to drastically hamper supermarkets, retailers, and suppliers.

“With more of us becoming all the more reliant on online and digital technologies, the online grocery market is only likely to grow,” said Eccleston.

“These results suggest that with this online growth, supermarkets are going to see overall spend shrink. They therefore need to be working closely with suppliers to understand this new breed of grocery shopper – they need to know how they shop and why, as well as what makes them buy what they do – in an effort to encourage online shoppers to spend more.”

The results also suggest that online shoppers are more likely to switch brands compared to their instore counterparts. Of those online grocery shoppers surveyed, just 10 per cent said that they always stick to the same brands for particular items, suggesting that there is a huge opportunity to influence people’s purchase decisions and disrupt their journeys online.

Unsurprisingly, price is one of the key drivers behind brand switches, suggesting that promotions and offers are perhaps the best way to disrupt online grocery shops and encourage impulse buyss, however, loyalty card promotions, search positions, and product images have an effect on how people shop online.

“These results prove that when it comes to buying food and drink, by understanding changing online consumer behaviours and what makes online grocery shoppers tick, suppliers and supermarkets will be able to better influence online purchase decisions, increase spend an minimise the threat that the growth of online grocery shopping poses.”

Online grocery shopping is expected to see significant growth in the next two years, with supply chains expected to undergo massive structural change as a result.

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