The Future of Online Grocery Shopping in the United ... - Kantar Retail

© 2012 Kantar Retail
WHO Shops Online for Groceries?
As a first step in understanding online grocery shopping behavior and where it might be headed, it is
worthwhile to take a closer look at the 11% of shoppers who say they are already buying at least some of their
groceries online. There are some key demographic differences between online and in-store grocery shoppers
but also a few areas where one might be surprised to see essentially no difference. These differences (and
lack thereof) suggest that online grocery shopping is already a part of the shopping routine for households
across a wide range of needs (Figure 3).
Online grocery shoppers are significantly more likely than their in-store counterparts to be male and
young. In particular, online grocery shoppers are more likely to be younger Gen X or older Gen Y. As Gen
Y shoppers continue to enter the household formation life stage and establish shopping routines, shopping
online for a whole range of products—including groceries—is likely to be a cornerstone of those routines.
The income differences of in-store vs. online grocery shoppers are not as pronounced as one might think.
In fact, shoppers at both the very low and very high ends of the income spectrum are more likely to buy
groceries online.
There is virtually no difference between online vs. in-store shoppers in terms of how likely they are to have
children living at home. And perhaps most surprisingly, the percent of online and in-store shoppers who
fall into the 65+ age group is nearly identical.
Figure 3: WHO Shops Online for Groceries—The 11%: Affluent, Male, Gen Y
48%
57%
52%
43%
41%
33%
2% 3%
22% 21% 20% 16% 13% 9% 10% 10%
Male Female 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
33%
34%
66%
65%
Children in HH No children in
HH
32%
Note: Arrows indicate significant difference between in-store and online grocery purchasers (90% confidence level)
Source: Compete Online Intelligence Survey, Spring 2012; Kantar Retail analysis
36%
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27%
23% 23% 20%
12%
6%
13% 9%