NEW YORK—Consumers can buy their clothes, music, movies and just about every other product online, but most still go to the brick and mortar grocery store weekly. That may be changing as younger, Internet-connected shoppers search for convenience and customization by going online to buy their groceries, according to an article in Nielsen Wire.
The article says while the $3.75 billion in online grocery sales in 2008 accounted for less than 1 percent of all food and beverage sales, online grocery shopping is beginning to grow. The demographics of online shoppers tend to be upper-income adults with no children who are looking for convenience, a wide product selection and quick price comparisons.
This may be good news for retailers, as the article states shoppers tend to spend twice as much online when making food and beverage purchases, mainly due to minimum order requirements, willingness to spend more on niche products and not needing to carry their groceries.