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Demand for online grocery delivery services has not waivered despite lockdown easing, Him and MCA Insight said

Online shopping growth has continued apace as the lockdown hits the three-month mark as a result of changing consumer shopping patterns, according to the latest research by Him & MCA Insight.

The Channel Pulse weekly survey (w/c 1 June 2020), Him and MCA Insight’s measure of weekly shopper and consumer behaviour across all UK food and drink channels, revealed grocery delivery registered strong growth at dinner and snacking occasions while recording its highest share at breakfast since lockdown started.

Grocery delivery share at breakfast jumped to a lockdown record of 20.3% (+2.4 percentage points), as well as climbing at dinner (+2pp) and snacking (+0.6pp).

Despite lockdown measures easing, demand for online grocery delivery services had not waivered, Him and MCA Insight said.

“This indicates using grocery delivery is becoming a habit that will remain once lockdown ends,” the research added.

For shoppers, price remained high in importance. Good prices are consistently among the top three consumer needs across all meal occasions in terms of where consumers choose to shop. This week, this need increased at breakfast (+4pp), dinner (+2pp) and snack (+2pp) occasions.

Him & MCA expected a positive swing towards recipe boxes in the week starting 8 June after seeing the category’s highest positive swing so far during lockdown (+28%) in terms of which channels consumers expect to be using more of in the next week.

This followed recipe box brand Gousto reopening registration for new customers, having recently limited its service to existing customers because of exceptional demand.

Blonnie Walsh, head of insight at HIM & MCA Insight, said: “The UK is approaching three months in lockdown. Over this time, shoppers have adapted their routines to ensure they still have access to the things they need.

“Despite lockdown easing, we are seeing some of these new routines remain. Grocery delivery is certainly one of them, as usage continues to grow. Shoppers have found a routine that suits them, and they are sticking to it. This may partly be to avoid busy supermarkets, but no doubt many shoppers are enjoying having extra time for other things and will look to keep this timesaving once lockdown ends.”