More than half of Brits are doing at least some of their food shopping online, research from thinkmoney has found.
The report revealed that 54% of adults in the UK are using online services to get essential food items.
Most of these people did combine online shopping with trips to stores but 6% said they only shopped for their groceries online.
Those aged between 18 and 24 years were most likely to do all of their food shopping online, with one in ten opting to do so. That compared with just 3% of those aged 55 years or over, showcasing the different approaches that are now being taken when purchasing goods.
A new trend
Grocery shopping online is a relatively new trend too as more than a third of those who shop online said they had only started doing it in the last year.
For those with busy lifestyles, it represents a way of getting the essentials without impacting too much on other activities – possibly a reason for its popularity among the younger generations.
The research from thinkmoney shows that Londoners have led the way when it comes to online shopping, as only 24% of residents in the capital do all of their shopping in store.
That compares to 46% who do so nationally while 66% of those in the capital opt to combine online shopping services with in-store visits.
A way of managing money
Nearly a quarter of shoppers said they had a set list of essentials that they purchased online as a way of saving money.
This shift has occurred relatively rapidly in the past 12 months and could reflect the supermarket price wars where many have attempted to sell cheaper than the competition.
Opting to shop in this way helps to control spending or to keep within a budget – especially if a prepaid card is used to finance the purchases.
Such an option limits spending to the amount available on the card at the point at which it is used and the lack of a credit facility means it is impossible to rack up debts.
This is especially important when it comes to controlling unnecessary spending or impulse buying – something that is much easier to get sucked into when shopping in store as goods can be thrown into the basket without checking the price.
Opting to do shopping online means people have much more control over their purchases and they can ensure that they avoid nasty surprises at the checkout.