Despite a huge shift to online shopping during the Covid-19 emergency,  seven out of ten consumers prefer to shop in-store, and only 20% of those who moved to online shopping will continue to do that in future.

That’s according to a survey carried out by Field Marketing Ireland aimed at analysing consumer behaviour triggered by Covid-19 and identifying future trends in the grocery sector. A total of 800 respondents completed the survey across the country.

The survey found that having an online presence became critically important for any retailer during the pandemic. Without the freedom to simply pop to the shops, customers went online, and this automatically put digitally savvy retailers first in line. 

FMI’s research also found that leading the online grocery shop is the 35-44 year old demographic, with 10% having moved their grocery shop online for the first time during the pandemic.  Of those, only a fifth of those plan to continue to shop online in the future. 

The FMI report states: “Ireland still has some way to go in converting consumers to shopping online only for grocery. It also suggests that Irish consumers are keen and have the willingness to enjoy the in-store shopping experience.”

In Association with

Shopping patterns changed as a result of going online, with 80% of online shoppers doing so less than twice a week. The 45 to 55 demographic showed the greatest change — two out of three reported that they shopped less frequently, but 90% of these shopped more than once a week.

FMI’s research also shows that three out of four 35-44 year-olds reported an increase in shopping spend, against one in two across the board. The company says that this is likely due to families being forced to stay at home during this period, and parents were looking for new recipe ideas and inspiration for simple home cooked meals.