Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/863214
58 S C T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 R E TA I L T R E N D S AT A G L A N C E T H E L A S T S T O P 'Ayes' for the aisles Consumers prefer stores for grocery shopping O nline grocery shopping has not caught on with U.S. shoppers. Only 4 percent of the respondents to a Gallup poll said they order groceries on the web at least weekly, and a meager 13 percent said they do so at least once a month. What is more, most of those who do order online say they also go to a store. By contrast, nearly all Americans shop at a supermarket at least once or twice a month, and the vast majority of them (83 percent) say someone in the family does so at least once a week. "Shopping for groceries online has a long way to go before it catches on with the vast majority of consumers, who mostly do their grocery shopping in person," the Gallup report said. "Most shoppers whose families purchase groceries online once or twice a month or more say they still visit a store to buy groceries at least once a week." Online grocery shopping is not even particularly popular among younger people, Gallup found. Only 15 percent of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 29 said they buy their groceries online at least monthly, hardly more than the 12 percent of 30-to-49-year-olds and the 10 percent of those between 50 and 64 who do so. Food spending has remained pretty stable for the past few years, standing at a median $130 per week — it was $125 in 2012 — and this despite food costs having risen by about 6 percent between 2012 and 2016, according to the Department of Agriculture. The government reports that people are now spending as much at restaurants as they are in grocery stores. "It is possible that survey respondents are not counting increasing restaurant expenditures when asked to estimate their weekly food costs, helping explain why food spending has not risen," the report said. The poll is based on phone interviews with 1,021 adults age 19 or older in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted July 5–9. 36% 47 15 1 --- 1 1% 3 5 3 3 84 More than once a week Once a week Once or twice a month A few times a year Less often Never Shop for groceries at a grocery or other store Order groceries online for pickup or delivery How often do you or the members of your family do each of the following? Grocery shopping habits of Americans