Only 4% of Irish shoppers are conducting a grocery shop online once a week or more frequently, while just under 1 in 10 (9%) claim to do so once a month or more frequently. Empathy Research sought the opinions of a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18+ on behalf of Retail Intelligence, to better understand what are the barriers for entry to this market, and what can retailers do to convince shoppers to try online grocery shopping.
Amongst those yet to conduct an online shop, the number one barrier for this group is control over selection. These shoppers are reluctant to give up their ability to select the produce they want to purchase; cited by almost 6 in 10 (59%). For many (38%), grocery shopping is also an enjoyable experience and not one they are likely to give up too easily.
Interestingly, and perhaps the most challenging aspect for retailers to overcome, is the issue of trust. Just over a third (34%) of those yet to conduct a grocery shop online claim they haven’t done so because they don’t trust that the freshest produce will be chosen by the retailer on their behalf.
Challenges also exist for retailers amongst those who have previously carried out a grocery shop online, with only 1 in 8 (12%) claiming they are conducting more of their grocery shopping online than this time last year. Almost 4 in 10 (37%) claim they are conducting less of their shopping online compared to this time last year; a net reduction of -25%.
A key reason for this reduction in the use of online for grocery shopping is their ability to control spend better offline (37%). Meanwhile, 1 in 5 (20%) claimed they missed going to the shops, with a similar proportion (19%) claiming they were put off by the poor quality of the produce which was being delivered.
For more information in relation to the behaviour of grocery shoppers in the online space, including the most motivating factors in encouraging future online shopping, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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