The UK food and grocery market is worth £184.5 billion, and online grocery currently accounts for £10.4 billion of this. Although supermarkets and hypermarkets will still hold the biggest share of the market in five years’ time, online grocery retail is forecast to be the fastest-growing segment of all UK grocery channels, according to grocery research organisation IGD, with latest figures predicting growth of 53.8% between 2017 and 2022 to £16 billion.
Shoppers are increasingly turning online for their food and grocery purchases, with two out of five (42%) UK grocery shoppers now using online as part of their grocery shops every month, while three out of five (60%) plan to shop online for groceries and have them delivered to their home in the next two to three years.
Those who already shop online are also doing so more frequently. Some 28% of online shoppers claim to shop once a week or more online, compared with 20% in 2013. Online delivery saver passes are helping to lock in shopper loyalty and increase frequency of shops, with 29% of online shoppers claiming to be subscribed to this type of scheme.
Speaking today at IGD’s Online & Digital Summit, IGD’s Shopper Insight Manager, Vanessa Henry, said: “More shoppers are engaging with online grocery shopping than ever before. What’s really interesting though is that, on the whole, online is not being used in isolation.
“What we call ‘omnichannel shoppers’ are having a big impact on the grocery market, with over half (54%) of shoppers claiming that they use five or more different channels every month, as well as buying from 12 different store brands on average. Retailers should therefore consider how they are driving loyalty so that they become the brand of choice, for example with online delivery saver passes or special promotions.”
IGD research suggests that the most popular combinations for online shoppers are using online and larger stores, and online and convenience stores. A significant 40% of shoppers said they have used either a blend of online and supermarkets or hypermarkets and convenience stores in the last month for their food and grocery shopping. But there is still huge potential to grow the online opportunity in the future.
IGD’s Senior Innovations and Trends Analyst, Toby Pickard, also speaking at the summit, adds: “The online segment is a great area to invest in and we have seen plenty of innovative examples around the world from retailers and suppliers looking to tap into the online and digital market further. By creating new products and services which offer personalisation, efficiency and speed, businesses are more likely to meet the dynamic and changing expectations of shoppers, and ultimately benefit from the growth opportunities the world of online grocery has to offer.”
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ENDS
Notes to editors:
- IGD is an education and training charity for the food and grocery industry that undertakes research for the benefit of the public. Our in-depth understanding of shoppers, retailing and supply chains is supported by our knowledge of broader topics affecting the industry – health, nutrition, sustainability and economics among them. This gives us unparalleled insight that can help identify opportunities to improve performance and tackle business challenges. Our reach is global, with experts based in the UK, Singapore and North America. We invest the net income we make from selling our expertise back into our charitable activities
- An omnichannel shopper is a shopper who uses multiple channels to complete their food and grocery shopping
- IGD ShopperVista data sources: 1,705 British grocery shoppers, Sep’17, 2,051 British grocery shoppers, Feb’17 and 1,000 British online grocery shoppers, Apr-Jul’17
- Follow the comms team on Twitter: @Comms_IGD
For more information contact:
Dani Cooper on:
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