Further evidence of the rising pervasiveness of the online shopping channel comes from the latest NielsenIQ Barometer Study which surveyed 11,000 consumers from 12 different countries including South Africa.
The study found that far from the exception, online shopping has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life in South Africa with 53% of grocery purchasers having bought groceries online in the past 6 months, including 16% who have bought more than half of their groceries online. 48% say they are now doing more of their grocery shopping online compared to 6 months ago, and 21% say they are doing less (a net +27 change).
The most common method of shopping for groceries online is via a store’s online website (67%), while 56% use a store or brand’s app. However, when identifying the main method of shopping online, the use of apps is mentioned more frequently than websites.
Online resources are also widely used to plan grocery shopping and influence choices with nearly half (47%) of all grocery shoppers indicating that they compare prices online, before deciding where to shop on most/all of their grocery shopping occasions.
One in three indicate that they research products or brands online before deciding what to buy on most/all occasions. 59% indicate they plan ahead before their grocery shop by checking the supermarket’s website, compared with 35% who use the latest mailer.
