Tesco.com takes 66 per cent of all online grocery orders placed in the UK, according to research results published by comScore Networks. But Sainsbury’s online delivery charges came out cheapest.
comScore Networks, the leader in measuring the digital age, has released the results of an in-depth analysis of comScore's proprietary UK online grocery sales data covering the first seven months of 2006.
The analysis revealed that Tesco.com is by far the most popular online grocery site in the UK, capturing 66 per cent of all online grocery orders, amounting to an average of 30,000 orders valued at an approximate £2.5 million every day.
Tesco.com's closest online competitor was Asda online (Asda.com), which captured 16 per cent of all orders, followed by Sainsbury's online (Sainsburystoyou.com) with 14 per cent.
Despite its third-place standing in volume, Sainsbury's online customers actually spent the most when they ordered, averaging almost £90 an order, compared to £80 an order for both Tesco and Asda. In addition, Asda and Sainsbury's online customers typically ordered more items, both averaging 69 units an order compared to Tesco's 58.
As part of its analysis, comScore tracked the delivery costs charged at checkout and found that Sainsbury's online customers incurred the lowest delivery charge during the period, at just over £3 a delivery on average. Tesco's online customers paid over £4 a delivery, while Asda's online customers stumped up the most, at nearly £5.50.
Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe, said: "comScore is uniquely able to deliver key insight into the delivery charges incurred by shoppers at UK online grocery sites. Delivery charges represent a key component of overall online grocery service, because the top three sites each offer complex pricing structures based on the delivery slot chosen and the amount ordered."
Customers purchased more than 11 million bananas from Tesco.com in the first seven months of 2006, representing the top item sold by volume at the site. "The best performing items at Tesco.com seem to be an interesting mix of fresh fruit and vegetables with a reasonable shelf life, like carrots, onions and apples, and large-volume containers that are awkward for consumers to carry home themselves," said Ivins.
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