Grocery shopping is a fact of life for parents everywhere. With the need to feed the family day in and day out, constantly hitting the store can become an inconvenience for busy American households. Online grocery shopping offers a solution to our technologically-connected, yet time-deprived population. However, according to a 2017 Gallup poll, even considering the time, money, and sanity saved by online shopping, the trend has not exactly caught on universally quite yet. We decided to poll the Moms Meet community to see how their habits stacked up.
Gallup’s Annual Consumption Habits Survey showed that only 9% of the national audience grocery shopped online during the survey month. Alternatively, our poll showed that 66% of Moms Meet moms have purchased groceries online in the past month. The fact that our moms shopped for food online at a rate that’s six times higher than that of the national average could result from a myriad of factors. In general, Moms Meet moms are highly passionate and involved in feeding their families in a healthy and budget-friendly manner. They often have little ones and careers, making the convenience of shopping at the click of the button all that more enticing. Shannah E. of Virginia said of online grocery shopping, “I love that I don’t have to take my young kids out of the car and into the store. It allows me to shop from my kitchen and get exactly what I need.”
The numbers aren’t so jarring for the Moms Meet shoppers versus regular shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores. However, the disparity is visible when comparing that one in three of our moms buys groceries online on a weekly basis as opposed to one in 25 of those Gallup surveyed. Online grocery retailers looking to expand and secure repeat business need not look further than the busy parent. Just ask Amiee C. from Florida who noted, “I don’t think I could make it through the week without online grocery shopping, I’m a very busy mom.”
Of the online retailers frequented by Moms Meet members, Amazon came out on top with just over half of respondents using their grocery services. Walmart was the second online destination with a third of users. Interestingly, moms reported to shop at a multitude of online grocery retailers, including Jet, Thrive Market, and Instacart, suggesting that the market can support many players at this time.
The perks of online shopping are varied and plentiful. According to our poll, the benefits include being able to shop from a mobile app and reference past shopping lists for quick purchases. Moms also like the wide selection of natural and organic products and that they can get a snapshot of the total price while shopping. An ever present concern for our moms is always cost when it comes to buying healthy food. However, over half surveyed share the opinion that online grocery shopping is not too expensive.
Many, though, still like to shop in physical stores to pick out their items. This is especially true when it comes to produce. Some online shoppers also reported hiccups along the way with items being out of stock and in-store shoppers not receiving enough training on how to locate items.
One big takeaway from our survey is that moms are definitely interested in trying out online grocery services. Not only are they regular shoppers but they share what works for their family with their circle of friends, especially through their Moms Meet group sampling programs. Amy from Illinois said it best. “I really think online shopping is an easier alternative to going out and wasting time and gas, but you have to trust the companies you’re dealing with. Moms Meet is always to be trusted in giving you the right information.” For online retailers looking to capitalize on repeat customers and growing their base, the mom market is their best bet and Moms Meet can help them tap into it.
