Loyalty schemes and personalised offers are the most valued supermarket technologies, according to new research commissioned by The Grocer and Retail Week.
The research into consumers’ appetite and preferences for various e-commerce and digital capabilities, shows 19% of consumers do most or almost all of their grocery shopping online, with a further 10% evenly split between in store and online. The figure is far higher for non-grocery retail, where 48% shop either mostly or almost entirely online, peaking at 60% for 30 to 39-year-olds.
When shopping in store, 56% of consumers chose ‘points and discounts for loyalty card members’ as very important to them.
Just as many wanted to be able to go to a cashier (39%) as self-checkout machines (38%). Thirty per cent of women and 22% of men said scan as you shop technology was very important to them.
Only 13% were motivated by digital receipts and 8% by electronic shelf edge labels.
Of those who shop almost entirely online for food and drink, speed and convenience are the most important considerations.
Half of all respondents (50%) said the ability to specify one-hour delivery slots was very important to them, followed by 40% who prioritised real-time delivery tracking. Three in 10 (31%) said it was important to be able to modify their orders after checking out.
Consumers were distinctly uninspired by advances in AI and chatbot technology. Only 4% said “the ability to compile lists and order products via AI agents” was very important to them, and just 2% valued a chatbot that could advise on products.
Similarly the research found that people prioritised having a customer service phone line (45%) and online chat support (30%) far more than AI-led services, such as ordering products via smart speaker (2%) or via an online chat (4%).
Last month new figures from Worldpanel showed one in five shoppers had placed online grocery orders in November while more British households used online channels over Christmas, with online retail growing by 7.5% to reach 12.2% market share.
Online turn-offs
The 55% who do almost all of their grocery shopping in store were asked what put them off online deliveries.
Not being able to choose items for themselves topped the poll, with 63%, followed by customers who enjoyed shopping in person to see what is new or on offer. Nearly half (48%) said they were put off online grocery shopping by delivery charges.
The full research with 2,057 consumers, conducted by Find Out Now, will be published in a joint paper by The Grocer and sister publication Retail Week and launched at LIVE 2026 on 3 March.
The Digital Capability Index will provide an in-depth view of which digital features are most important to UK consumers, which brands are most digitally advanced, and which brands have the most room for improvement in their e-commerce offer.
To find out more and book your tickets, visit the Retail Week x The Grocer LIVE 2026 website.
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