A major new global report has found that one-quarter of consumers now order grocery products online, and more than half (55 per cent) are willing to do so in the future.
Neilsen's global e-commerce survey, The Future of Grocery, which polled 30,000 online respondents in 60 countries to understand how digital technology will shape the retail landscape of the future, found that 61 per cent of respondents believe going to the grocery store is an "enjoyable and engaging experience".
The report looks at how consumers are using technology and offers insights into how retailers and manufacturers can use flexible retailing options to improve the shopping experience and drive increased visitation and sales across channels.
Willingness to use digital retailing options in the future is highest in Asia-Pacific (60 per cent), followed by Africa/Middle East and Latin America regions.
According to the report, e-commerce is well suited for stock-up and specialty-needs retailing because it can offer deeper product selections than may be available in brick-and-mortar stores.
Meanwhile, use of online or mobile coupons (18 per cent) and mobile shopping lists (15 per cent) are the most cited forms of in-store digital engagement in use today among global respondents, with about two-thirds willing to use them in the future (65 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively).
Downloading a retailer/loyalty program app on a mobile phone to receive information or offers is used by 14 per cent of global respondents, and 63 per cent say they're willing to use one when it is available.
About one-in-10 global respondents say they log in to store Wi-Fi to receive information or offers (12 per cent), use in-store computers to view extended product ranges (11 per cent) or scan QR codes to access more information (11 per cent). Roughly two-thirds, however, are willing to use these options in the future (66 per cent, 68 per cent and 65 per cent), respectively.
There’s good news for brick and mortar retailers found in the report, which cited that "clicks won't be replacing bricks any time soon".
“Online shopping has a number of benefits, but physical stores also have strong key advantages over e-commerce - especially for fast-moving consumer goods,” it reads.
However, Nielsen research shows that clicks do lead to bricks and this is an important take-away for retailers and manufacturers who must engage the consumer early on the path to purchase.
"The connected commerce era has arrived," said Patrick Dodd, president, global retailer vertical, Nielsen. "Consumers are no longer shopping entirely online or offline; rather, they're taking a blended approach, using whatever channel best suits their needs."
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Andrew Jennings.
