Idaho Falls, ID – These days consumers are doing more and more of their shopping online, so it only makes sense they are increasingly buying groceries online as well. Add to that the fact that shoppers are busier than ever, and the convenience of Click-n-Collect grocery shopping is an attractive option for time-starved shoppers. Grocery retailers use many different names to describe their services, Kroger Pickup, Target Drive Up, Walmart Grocery Pickup,
Albertson’s/Safeway Drive Up & Go, but 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.
A recent study by Category Partners (CP) revealed that 36% 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. One quarter of consumers reported buying groceries using Click-nCollect on a weekly basis. Further, a significant number are frequently buying items from the fresh departments, ranging from 14% who use Click-n-Collect to buy deli items weekly to 17% who use Click-n-Collect to buy fresh produce and fresh meat each week.
In this study, CP polled 1,000 consumers throughout the U.S., aged 2565+ (further demographic information below*), 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%, 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% buying fresh produce items and 42% 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% using Click-n-Collect.
As might be expected, younger shoppers are more likely to used Click-n-Collect. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 63%, age 44 and younger reported using Click-n-Collect, compared to only 8% of respondents age 65+ and 14% 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%, buy meat weekly using Click-n-Collect. Cara Ammon, Category Partners’ Senior Vice President, Research and Market Intel, noted, “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. Plus, younger shoppers, more so than older shoppers, seem to be drawn to convenience.”
Ammon concluded, “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. 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.”
*HH income between <$25,000 and >$200,000, HH size between one and 6+ people, encompassing various ethnicities and nearly evenly split between female/male.
About Category Partners – a nationally recognized resource, among food companies and retailers, for delivering actionable business/consumer insights, marketing/sales plans and technology/data solutions. Category Partners is producer owned and headquartered in Idaho Falls, ID, with offices in Laguna Hills, Calif., Chicago, and Wenatchee, Wash.
For more information, contact CP president Adam Brohimer, at adam.brohimer@categorypartners.com.
