Grocery delivery to offer increasing opportunities for businesses post-lockdown

Grocery deliveries became the norm during lockdown, and it seems they’re here to stay.

That’s according to a new report from HIM & MCA Insight. Data from the company’s Channel Pulse weekly survey, which offers insight into weekly shopper and consumer behaviour patterns across all UK food and drink channels, has shown that for the week beginning 1 June 2020, grocery delivery has seen strong growth for breakfast, dinner and snack occasions.

Delivery received its highest ever share at breakfast at 20.3%, up 2.4 percentage points a record since lockdown began. Growth in delivery from retail is strong, too, with dinner up 2 percentage points, and snacks up 0.6 percentage points. Recipe boxes also hit a record high (+28%), with consumers expecting to make the most of these next week.

Price is still king: good prices consistently rank among the top three consumer needs for all meal occasions, and impact where consumers choose to spend. It certainly sheds light on the importance of retailers promoting a positive price perception and offering better value for money.

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 that 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.”

It’s perhaps unsurprising that the trend is here to stay. Throughout lockdown, online orders and deliveries helped provide a lifeline for those in isolation, whilst for some consumers, it simply became about convenience and safety. Waitrose recently reached a milestone of 150,000 online orders in just one week, whilst many independent retailers have also seen a huge rise in online sales, offering new opportunities and opening up revenue streams for many in the sector.