Online grocery shopping growth stalls amid consumer frustration
New research has revealed that online grocery is set to grow more slowly as customers concerns over order issues and delivery charges rise.
In 2018 just 45 per cent of consumers said they did grocery shopping online, four per cent down on 2016, according to research from analysts Mintel.
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The firm also found that 42 per cent of older people had never bought groceries online and did not plan on it.
The research, which involved surveying 2,000 internet users, found 63 per cent of them had an issue with an order in the pas year.
Mintel's associate director of retail research, Nick Carroll, said: "Online grocery is, alongside the food discounters, one of the fastest-growing segments within the wider grocery sector.
"However, growth is slowing and the number of users is plateauing as retailers struggle to encourage new customers to try their services."
Mintel forecast that online grocery shopping will make up 10 per cent of the whole sector by 2023, currently at seven per cent, and that sales will rise from £12.3bn to £19.8bn.
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The survey found that older shoppers were more sceptical and suspicious of online grocery shopping, with only 35 per cent of people aged over 45 using such services.
Of those who did not shop online, 73 per cent said they preferred to choose fresh products themselves, while 24 per cent said delivery charges were too high. 18 per cent were unhappy with the minimum spending levels required.