More than 4 in 10 Americans (44%) plan to shop online for some or all of the groceries they need for their Thanksgiving or holiday meal this year. This is more than twice as many people who shopped online for Thanksgiving groceries in 2017, according to the Digital Grocery Survey: 2018 Holiday Edition from RichRelevance.
Amazon dominates as the top online grocery destination for shoppers (57%), followed by big-box retailers such as Walmart and Target (48%). Traditional supermarkets like Safeway and Kroger will attract a significant – but quite smaller – number of online shoppers (30%) this holiday.
The top Thanksgiving items that people plan to purchase online are bundled ingredients for side dishes (56%); canned items like cranberry sauce (51%); and beverages including alcohol (44%). Turkey (33%) and frozen/pre-made desserts (31%) are the least likely to be purchased online.
“With online grocery shopping on the rise, it is critical that consumers have the best possible digital experience,” said Michael Ni, CMO, RichRelevance. “We’re hearing directly from consumers that personalization and relevance define a positive, valuable online shopping experience. As companies race to differentiate and establish their brands in grocery, these experience investments will be critical in determining market leaders.”
When online orders are ready, more shoppers plan to pick up their groceries (47%) than have them delivered to their home (43%), reported RichRelevance in a press release.
Americans overwhelmingly turn online for grocery shopping to save time (73%) – and 1 in 4 (26%) choose to shop online because it allows them to shop for groceries during work hours.
The top factors keeping people from shopping online for groceries are a lack of trust that others will pick the best or freshest items (50%) followed by a reluctance to spend extra money (37%).
Across the board, respondents have strong opinion on which online tools would be most helpful as they plan and prepare a Thanksgiving or holiday meal.
Half of Americans (50%) say that online personalized offers or discounts are helpful, followed by fast, accurate search results on a grocer’s site (46%) and having a grocer present them with relevant alternatives when a desired item is not available (43%).
RichRelevance is a global leader in experience personalization, driving digital growth and brand loyalty for more than 200 of the world’s largest B2C and B2B brands and retailers. Headquartered in San Francisco, RichRelevance serves clients in 42 countries from 9 offices around the globe.
The survey of 1,565 U.S consumers was completed online in November 2018.