Why Do Some Shoppers Order Online, But Still Go In-Store?

By: Kelli Windsor, Director, Digital Communications, FMI

You’ve probably seen them—the grocery shoppers who order online, come to the store for curb-side pickup, then lock their car doors and go into the store to pick up something in addition to their online order. This particular online and in-store grocery shopper befuddles me—after taking advantage of the convenience of online grocery shopping, why then negate it by going in-store?

We examined the duplexity of this online and in-store grocery shopper in our 2022 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends: Navigating A Hybrid World report. According to the findings the questions of convenience and control are elevated among online grocery shopping methods. For example, when we asked shoppers who grocery shop both online and in-store to clarify why they choose certain methods for certain occasions their answers are mixed. When it comes to control, shoppers state wanting to choose their own fresh prepared foods in-store or that they get better quality foods and beverages shopping in-store. On the flip side, shoppers seeking convenience report being short on time or not wanting to make a trip to get foods or beverages.

For foods retailers and suppliers, this duality is complex and difficult to navigate, but by offering both online and in-store experiences you can create the best of both worlds for the shoppers. So, maybe the shopper that orders online and then goes into the store when picking up isn’t that strange—maybe that shopper is just seeking both convenience AND control at the same time. The key for the food industry is to create strong experiences both online and in-store that support shoppers’ evolving needs for both convenience and control.

FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Series