Seventy-nine percent of shoppers plan to maintain or increase their online grocery shopping over the next year.
When it comes to online food shopping, the grocery sector has earned the highest customer satisfaction.
According to the latest study from The Feedback Group, supermarkets earned a 4.45 approval rating (five-point scale), outperforming the overall average of 4.24, and beat other sectors including mass (4.25), club (4.18), value (4.01) and dollar (3.68). Supermarkets also out-ranked Amazon (4.32) in terms of customer satisfaction.
The Feedback Group’s survey confirms that online grocery shopping is “firmly entrenched” in consumer behavior. Roughly eight-in-10 (79%) shoppers plan to maintain or increase their online shopping over the next year. Online ordering methods are changing for supermarkets as well, with delivery (52%) surpassing pickup (48%).
“Supermarkets continue to lead the way in online grocery satisfaction, demonstrating strong execution in convenience, fulfillment, and service,” said Brian Numainville, principal at The Feedback Group. “As a channel, supermarket investments in e-commerce capabilities have clearly paid off, but there’s still room for improvement.”
Nearly half (48%) of respondents said they are spending more of their grocery budget online than they did last year. Still, 90% of online shoppers also shop at a physical food store.
[READ MORE: Delivery propels online grocery sales to 16% increase in January]
The survey found that older shoppers are more satisfied with online grocery shopping than younger generations. Boomers (4.36) rated their experience highest, followed by Gen X (4.26), while millennials (4.16) and Gen Z shoppers (4.05) were less satisfied. The Feedback Group says that younger shoppers who are more accustomed to seamless digital experiences across industries may have higher expectations for online grocery services.