IDAHO FALLS, ID - Online shopping has completely taken over the retail space so it only makes sense that consumers are increasingly buying groceries online as well. The convenience of Click-n-Collect grocery shopping is an attractive option for time-starved shoppers, and grocery retailers use many different names to describe their services. Click-n-Collect is currently available at almost 5,000 stores, and consumers are adopting this new way of shopping for groceries at a quick pace. As this new trend continues to grow, Category Partners has stepped in to see what this means for the future of grocery.

“It’s not surprising that younger shoppers have really embraced Click-n-Collect. They have grown up making their purchases online, so it’s natural for them to buy their groceries online,” Cara Ammon, Senior Vice President, Research and Market Intel, noted. “Plus, younger shoppers, more so than older shoppers, seem to be drawn to convenience.”

A recent study by Category Partners (CP) revealed that 36 percent of consumers use Click-n-Collect to buy at least some of their groceries. Click-n-Collect seems to be on a steep trajectory upward with the vast majority of users making their first purchase in the last year, and half of all Click-n-Collect shoppers moving toward this option in only the last three months.

For many consumers, Click-n-Collect is their main method of shopping. According to the press release, one quarter of consumers reported buying groceries using Click-n-Collect on a weekly basis. Further, a significant number are frequently buying items from the fresh departments, ranging from 14 percent who use Click-n-Collect to buy deli items weekly to 17 percent who use Click-n-Collect to buy fresh produce and fresh meat each week.

“As many brick-and-mortar stores close and we make the move toward buying more of the items we need online, it is inevitable that we will buy our groceries online as well. Click-n-Collect provides a convenient alternative to walking the aisles of the supermarket. It especially makes sense for certain demographic groups such as younger shoppers who are very comfortable with online shopping. While this service amps up the convenience factor for consumers, it requires them to plan their purchases,” Ammon concluded. “How this trend impacts retailers and suppliers who rely on impulse purchases to drive existing product sales and new product launches remains to be explored.”

In this study, CP polled 1,000 consumers throughout the U.S., aged 25- 65+, giving it the ability to compare the acceptance and usage of Click-n-Collect across region, age, household income, and presence of children.

Use of Click-n-Collect to purchase groceries varies by region of the United States. At 44 percent, shoppers in the South are most likely to use Click-n-Collect to purchase groceries. Additionally, shoppers in the South are most open to buying fresh foods using Click-n-Collect, with 43 percent buying fresh produce items and 42 percent buying fresh bakery items at least occasionally using Click-n-Collect. Shoppers in the Midwest have been slowest to adopt this new method of shopping with 25 percent using Click-n-Collect.

As might be expected, younger shoppers are more likely to used Click-n-Collect. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 63 percent, age 44 and younger reported using Click-n-Collect, compared to only 8 percent of respondents age 65+ and 14 percent of respondents in the 55-64 age group. Younger shoppers are also more likely to frequently purchase fresh foods using Click-n-Collect. One third of consumers in the 35-44 age group buy produce weekly and, and slightly more, 36 percent, buy meat weekly using Click-n-Collect.

Will delivery and online formats continue to grow? We will keep our eyes and ears peeled at ANUK as more grocery innovations come to light.

Category Partners