Survey finds three quarters of UK consumers now grocery shop online
The latest survey of the digital economy to be conducted by Nielsen has found that 74% of Uk consumers now use the internet for their household grocery shopping.
Nielsen interviewed 28,000 consumers in 56 countries for the study and found that saving money was a primary driver of their shopping habits, with 48% of UK shoppers looking for deals, 30% seeking coupon websites and 25% comparing prices.
In excess of a quarter of Britons, 27%, stated that it was their intention to purchase food or drink online over the next few months, making it the third most popular category for shoppers in the UK behind travel bookings and books, newspapers & magazines.
Nielsen UK head of retailer insight Mike Watkins: "Grocery shopping and the Internet go together like bread and butter for three-quarters of Brits. It shows just how aware supermarkets and brands need to be about how it impacts their bottom line – not just in what products people buy, but the prices they pay and where they get them from.
"One in every 10 Brits online uses the web for grocery shopping research every day, while eight percent visit a coupon site daily for grocery deals. The growth in smartphones and apps makes this easier than ever. Retailers cannot ignore trends such as that.
“Three of the four biggest factors impacting what people have bought over the last year relate to cost, which reinforces the price sensitivity of Britons when it comes to grocery shopping. So, while much has been made about fitness and wellbeing in this, an Olympic year, British shoppers are as likely to make purchase decisions based on retailer loyalty programmes and the use of coupons and vouchers - available online or via their smartphones - as they are on what’s best for their health."