A new study by research firm Brick Meets Click found online grocery shopping has doubled in the past two years with one in five shoppers saying they recently bought groceries online.
While most were looking for a specific product, like a birthday cake, retailers are starting to pay more attention to shoppers looking to fill their carts.
Michelle Cote said the shopperes engaged in what she calls "Click and Collect" are super valuable.
Cote's employer, MyWebGrocer, specializes in helping stores maximize online shopping, especially "Click and Collect." It can also be referred to "Curbside Service" or "Pick-up." They all involve customers ordering online, pulling up to the curb at a designated time and getting their groceries.
“The baskets are huge," Cote said. "It’s a $157 shop they’re doing with about 53 items in the cart.”
She said more than 90 percent of those shoppers buy dairy products and nearly 80 percent buy frozen items. It's welcome news for a group she addressed in Tempe on Tuesday where executives were gathered for the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Conference.
The frozen sector has been outpacing overall online sales with the biggest growth among frozen deserts and frozen vegetables, Cote said.
Despite the increase in "Click and Collect" shopping, Cote said shoppers will still go inside stores to grab what they need before their next online stock up.
Online shopping research presented by Cote at the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Conference:
- Sundays and Mondays are the highest volume days for placing orders.
- Mondays and Fridays are the most popular pick up and delivery days.
- Pick ups are most popular between 8-10 a.m. and 3-5 p.m.
- People 35 to 44 make up the largest percentage of online shoppers. People 18 to 34 make up the fastest-growing segment.