ABSTRACT
Online grocery shopping has become increasingly popular in many countries due to Covid-19. Although there is plenty of research on consumer adoption and use of online grocery shopping, only a few studies focus on understanding the underlying beliefs of experienced buyers. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and following its recommendations, the present study set out to explore the actual beliefs that underlie attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control to buy groceries online among those who have been doing it regularly for a longer time. A structured qualitative approach, in this case an elicitation study, was applied to uncover the shared ideas, modal salient beliefs, among a group of experienced buyers (n = 14). The study found that time-saving and convenience, which for many meant avoiding the discomfort of in-store shopping, combined with assisted meal planning and simultaneous ordering were considered important for experienced online shoppers. This suggests that further assistance in the planning to order process may be welcome, including more proactive prompts and suggestions. The quality of perishable goods was still a concern after months of online shopping, along with a limited product range, which for some had meant less variation in meals. Suboptimal user interface and delivery-related inflexibility caused some concern. Retailers in the grocery business stand before major capital expenditure if they wish to expand their online offerings and services. The study at hand provides valuable initial insight into what drives consumer behaviour in this respect. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ABSTRACT
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers in many countries have increasingly adopted online grocery shopping. This study aims to investigate the demographic and household characteristics of these adopters, by analyzing the data from a large-scale survey (n=2568) in Finland. The results indicate that a typical adopter of online grocery shopping due to Covid-19 is less than 45 years old, and one with some concern over own health or that of a loved one. The more likely adopters also have a higher household size, higher household earnings, and/or they are more likely to live in the capital region of the country. Further, the results indicate that in the older age group (45+), women and those with some degree of worry over own health and/or that of a loved one are a little more likely to be adopters than the rest. © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.