Clothing, books and electronics – but now also food: these are the results of a survey we recently conducted among 1,000 people. In the first part of this article we reported which products consumers order. Today we answer, among other things, why they prefer to fill their online shopping cart rather than push a shopping cart through the local supermarket. Or why not?
Why do you order online?
The often suspected convenience with which marketing campaigns also try to convince people to order is not the most important purchasing argument: only 18% of respondents order online so that they do not have to carry their purchases home. For the consumer, the choice is much more decisive: 65% of respondents said they get the products online that they would otherwise not be able to buy in their region. So is it a certain French soft cheese, the prepackaged Mac&Cheese from the US or the red wine from the Australian winery from the last vacation that convinces people?
Why do you order food on the Internet? (2018 n=336, 2010 n=223 respondents who have ordered food before)
Why don’t you order online?
The question of which (long) delivery route the product has to cover and how much packaging is required for this is in any case a matter of concern for consumers who do not buy online. However, ecological reasons are not the main issue regarding the rejection of online shopping. First and foremost, consumers want to see what they are buying. Is it fresh? Is the quality right? The fact that a product can be handled and inspected supports the stationary food retail trade.
Why haven’t you ever ordered food on the Internet? (n=445 respondents who cannot imagine ordering food online in the future)
Where do people buy?
But where do those who are involved in online food retailing shop? They name us a true variety of providers: both large online players such as Amazon or Ebay and the online branch of the classic food retailer such as Edeka, Rewe or Real or discounters such as Lidl. In addition, there are special shops such as Gourmondo and Foodist or online supermarkets such as Mytime – these are already included in the relevant set of food buyers.
Where do you order your food from online? (n=336 respondents who have ordered food before)
How do buyers and products get to each other?
If the consumer does not come to the goods, how do the goods come to the consumer? The most popular is delivery by parcel service or post. However, as supply increases, customers are also considering delivery by local dealers. While hardly any delivery services were available from local retailers in 2010 and the level was a thin 5%, 14% of online shoppers now prefer their own local supermarket as their supplier. Accordingly, the level for postal delivery fell from 93% preference back then to 81% today. Collection by the shoppers themselves was, then, as now, low at 1% (2010) and 2% (2018), respectively. It is therefore irrelevant for shoppers at the present time.
How was the order usually delivered? (2018 n=336, 2010 n=223 respondents who have ordered food before)
What will the delivery of the future look like?
In the future, consumers expect even more deliveries from the local retailer around the corner and they also see a good chance of picking them up themselves. In contrast, consumers estimate that only every second delivery (59%) will reach the household by post. The retailer in the vicinity would therefore reach almost the same level, since 52% of consumers want to be supplied by him in the future.
What form of delivery do you think will increase in the future? (2018 n=336, 2010 n=223 respondents who have ordered food before)
Does the market still have potential?
If we have counted only a few online food buyers so far, is there still room for growth? Can other consumers imagine ordering food online in the future? This question shows that the potential is exhausted. The levels of those who can imagine buying everyday products in the future are falling. Whereas in 2010 37% of the participants said “rather yes” to buying groceries via the Internet, in 2018 the figure is still a weak 33%, with the majority undecided. Therefore, online food retailing would need to change significantly in order to tap this potential.
Could you imagine ordering food online in the future? 2018 n=664, 2010 n=777 Respondents who have never ordered food online before)
The frequency of online orders is also developing negatively. Those who have already discovered the online supermarket for themselves do not necessarily shop there regularly in the future
How often do you order food online? (2018 n=336, 2010 n=223 respondents who have ordered food before)
How satisfied are consumers?
Online shoppers of food are very satisfied. The quality convinces 91% of online shoppers. Also the speed and the service of retailers with 85% and 84% satisfaction respectively leave little room for complaints. The high values suggest that today’s buyers will continue to be loyal customers.
How satisfied were you with the following aspects of your last food order? (2018 n=336, 2010 n=223 respondents who have ordered food before)
Dialego study
Dialego time series on the subject of food online: As early as September 2010, we were able to gather consumers’ opinions on the subject of food online. For the current study, 1,000 women and men aged 18+ from Germany were interviewed in June 2018. The study is representative by age and gender. We will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.