New research from IGD forecasts that online grocery shopping will almost double in value over the next five years.
According to the retail market analyst’s study, UK shoppers will spend £7.2 billion on food and grocery shopping online by 2014 - nearly double the figure for 2009. In 2009, 13 per cent of adults shopped online for groceries - an increase of 63 per cent on 2006.
The IGD’s research also found that online shoppers are not particularly loyal, as 61 per cent use more than one retailer for their food shopping. And half said they would like to try other supermarket websites, but many are put off by the perceived effort involved.
Other findings published in the report Online Shopping 2009
are that 30 per cent of online grocery shoppers purchase less often than once a month, 24 per cent intend to try an alternative online supermarket in the three next three months and 34 per cent expect to shop in a variety of outlets, including online, in the next five to 10 years, compared to 27 per cent in 2007.
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “Our research shows there is a great opportunity for grocery retailers and manufacturers to encourage shoppers to try online food shopping. People are increasingly mixing the channels they use for their weekly or monthly shop. Many are choosing to visit their local store on a regular basis, while purchasing a number of bulk items, like tinned foods and toiletries, online less frequently. The future of grocery shopping is multi-channel, with people shopping in different ways and using various outlets - whether convenience stores, online or hypermarkets."
