Survey reveals an emerging new group of online grocery shoppers

In the past having mainly been popular among for families with children in large cities, online grocery shopping is now attracting new target groups. Families with children still constitute the largest customer group. However, now new figures from YouGov survey, commissioned in Sweden by StrongPoint, show that three out of ten online grocery shoppers belong to the category of young adults without children. This is the group that accounts for the great growth in the next year. According to the YouGov survey, 10% of all Swedes over the age of 18 state that they regularly buy food online and. Another 7% state that they plan to start the next year.

Online shopper groups

In Sweden the largest group of online shoppers for groceries is still families with children. They account for just over half of the grocery customers while the second largest group is now young adults without children. This is also the group that is likely to grow most in the coming year. Today, three out of ten online grocery customers belong to this category. Looking at the coming year, it is clearly the largest growth group. It is expected to account for just over 40% of customer growth.

As new target groups enter the online food market and the Swedes generally become more used to e-commerce, entirely new requirements follow. Among other things there is speed and being able to control their time themselves. “Get what you want, when and how you want it,” is what more and more people expect. It is especially true for the generation of digital natives (the generation that has grown up with the internet as a natural part of life). The YouGov survey reveals that 29% state that the opportunity to choose when to get or be able to pick up their food is one of the most important criteria when choosing an online grocery supplier. It is even more important than a quick delivery.

Waiting for delivery is a thing of the past

“We have received clear signals that there is a change among the online food customers’ demand for flexibility. These figures further show what is happening. The younger target groups have different expectations of being able to choose the time and the place of grocery pick-up themselves. They are not happy to sit at home and wait for delivery. For example, several of our international grocery retail customers already offer the opportunity to pick up their bag of groceries from a pick-up station in principle 24 hours a day. They can do so at large residential complexes, shopping centers, parking garages or other places where people move around in their everyday life,” comments Sven Calissendorff, SVP/MD of StrongPoint Sweden.

Facts about the survey:

The survey was conducted by the global research company YouGov. It was made in Sweden in December 2018, a total of 1011 CAWI interviews were conducted with a nationally representative selection of men and women aged 18+.

For more information, contact Sven Calissendorff, SVP/MD StrongPoint AB, sven.calissendorff@strongpoint.com, 070 – 682 22 23