It’s no secret COVID-19 has forced consumers to rethink nearly every aspect of their day-to-day. As consumers navigate the innate need to change and adapt, they are working differently, learning differently, shopping, eating, and interacting with others differently – all while seeking a sense of normalcy, safety and routine.

With this major consumer shift and evolution, the grocery retail industry is tracking shopping trends at the store level, online and overall eating behaviors.

We’ve pulled some insights from research conducted by The Hartman Group for The Food Industry Association’s (previously Food Marketing Institute) 2020 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report to share three main areas of consumer behavior change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and why it matters to brands.

• Grocery Shopping Behavior
• Online Shopping Behavior
• Eating Behavior

Part 2: Online Shopping Behavior

There’s no denying how much online shopping has ingrained itself in our daily lives, but there’s one shopping category that was a little late to the party: grocery. Leave it to COVID-19 to usher in this behavioral trend at lightning speed – in just a few months online shopping has become a critical indicator of brand success for many grocery retailers.

In February (pre-pandemic), a little more than half of shoppers had used some method of online shopping as a source for their grocery needs, but as pandemic fears grew in April and May, so did the popularity of online grocery shopping. Retailers who offered this service reaped the rewards as consumers locked down and avoided exposure to the virus.

The increases are significant. Twenty-eight percent of shoppers reported using online grocery shopping more than their pre-pandemic habits, and, online grocery spend has increased. Weekly online grocery purchases as a portion of all grocery spend was only 10.5% in 2019. It reached 14.5% in February and then soared to 27.9% by April, nearly doubling in just a few short weeks. Here are a few ways online grocery shopping is keeping brands a step ahead.

Loyalty to the omni-channel supermarket

During the pandemic, the supermarket remained the most popular choice as primary store format for shoppers in the grocery retail landscape. Even though people were starting to shop more online, loyal consumers turned to their primary supermarket for that service. Only 10% of shoppers said that they changed their primary store during the pandemic and over half of shoppers said they were relying on their grocery store even more since the pandemic hit. (More on this here.)

Food for thought: Customer loyalty has stayed true for retailers who have adapted quickly to changing needs – whether in-store or online. How is your brand adapting to customer needs?

Online solution for in-store concerns

Consumers have heightened concerns when it comes to their in-store shopping experience. At the top of the list of concerns among shoppers venturing into the store was the fear of out of stock items upon arrival (57%). Over half (54%) of shoppers were concerned with being exposed to the virus from other shoppers in store and almost half of shoppers (44%) were concerned about getting ill from surfaces in the store, such as the checkout areas or from carts (42%). While the in-store experience has been traditionally favored by many shoppers, health and safety concerns may be enough to drive shoppers away from the physical store and looking for solutions online – as long as the latter delivers a comparable level of quality to the in-store experience. With curbside pickup and home delivery options, not having to step foot in a grocery store has become an attractive solution to many consumers.

Food for thought: Providing customers with multiple solutions to shop the way they feel most comfortable can calm concerns. What solutions are you providing your customers? If online isn’t an option for your brand right now, what other ways can you accommodate customer’s needs?

Online has consumers trying something new

Even if the behavioral change was induced by a global pandemic, online grocery shopping has, for many, presented the opportunity to try something new. During the pandemic, 20% of shoppers said they tried online shopping for the very first time or tried something new when it came to their online grocery shopping habits. This could be trying a new retailer, a new delivery format or even shopping a new category, such as fresh meat, produce and dairy – products traditionally preferred by shoppers to purchase in store. The pandemic also brought back lapsed customers, with 7% of shoppers returning to online grocery shopping once the pandemic hit.

Food for Thought: With consumers adapting so quickly to change, now more than ever could be the opportunity for shoppers to try new things. Is there a promotion, new product or service your brand has wanted to try? What could your brand offer to help consumers as they navigate these unprecedented times?

It’s clear that online grocery shopping is likely here to stay. With it comes the opportunity to not only provide solutions, but to try something new – both from brands and by consumers. Speaking of trying new things, up next we’ll take a look at how the pandemic has shaped the eating and cooking behaviors of consumers, starting with a renewed interest in the traditional at-home family meal.

Looking for ways to connect with consumers or launch new products or services? At MorganMyers, food communications is our specialty. Check out our case studies to see how we’ve helped our clients provide their customers with the opportunity to try something new. Let’s talk!