Comparing Online and In-Store Grocery Purchases

Area of Science:

• Consumer Behavior
• Nutritional Science
• E-commerce

Background:

• Understanding grocery shopping patterns is crucial for public health interventions.
• The shift towards online grocery shopping necessitates an evaluation of its impact on dietary choices.
• Previous research has not fully explored the differences in purchasing unhealthy, impulse-sensitive items between online and in-store grocery shopping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the grocery shopping behaviors of individuals who utilize both online and in-store purchasing channels.
• To determine if shoppers purchase fewer unhealthy, impulse-sensitive food items when shopping online compared to in-store.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of 44 weeks of grocery transaction data from 2 supermarkets.
• Inclusion of 137 primary household shoppers with both in-store and online (curbside pickup) transactions.
• Paired t tests, descriptive analyses, and mixed-effects regression models were used to compare spending and item purchases across channels, focusing on unhealthy, impulse-sensitive food subgroups.

Main Results:

• Online grocery shoppers spent significantly more per transaction (44% increase) and purchased more items compared to in-store shoppers.
• Online shopping was associated with statistically significant reductions in spending on candy, cold/frozen desserts, and grain-based desserts.
• Despite higher overall spending, online platforms facilitated decreased purchasing of specific unhealthy, impulse-sensitive food categories.

Conclusions:

• Online grocery shopping demonstrates a potential to reduce the consumption of certain unhealthy, impulse-sensitive foods.
• Grocery-based healthy eating initiatives can potentially expand their reach and effectiveness by integrating with online ordering platforms.
• Future interventions should consider the unique aspects of online grocery environments to promote healthier dietary patterns.