SURVEY:

Online Grocery Usership

2022 Edition
Online Grocery Usership
2022 Edition

The Chicory team has been surveying online grocery shoppers annually since January 2020 to track
evolving behaviors and preferences. After March of 2020, we witnessed digital grocery explode. Then,
in 2021, usership continued to grow, even surpassing the height of the 2020 boom. Now, using 1,017
responses collected from our third annual survey in January 2022, we’re looking at the current state of
online grocery usership, how it compares to the years prior and what it means for the grocery industry
as we navigate the year ahead.

In this report, we’ll explore:

• High-level online grocery usership statistics
• Add-to-cart and order-placement behaviors
• Purchase amounts and cart composition
• The leading online grocery retailers
• The role of digital solutions in the online grocery shopping experience

Online Grocery Usership Remains Strong

Online grocery shopping is more

72% of Shoppers Purchase Groceries Online
popular than it was at the height
January 2022: Have you purchased groceries
of the pandemic. In our latest
online in the past 90 days?
survey, the majority (72%) of
respondents reported having
purchased groceries online in the
past 90 days, serving as further
confirmation that digital grocery
No
solutions are here to stay. 28%
Yes
72%
Digital grocery adoption has steadily increased over the past two years, with the largest jump in
adoption occurring between January 2020 and April 2020, of course. January 2021’s survey respondents
purchased groceries online the most over a 60-day period, at 70.27%.

Digital Grocery Adoption Since January 2020

No Yes
Have you purchased groceries online in the past 60 days?
80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
January 2020 April 2020 July 2020 October 2020 January 2021

By a landslide, the leading driver of ordering groceries online is convenience and/or time constraints
(46%). This speaks to evolving consumer expectations, which are increasingly centered around
convenience and flexibility. Product availability or accessibility comes in as the second-most popular
driver at 19.3% — worth noting, especially as brands and retailers continue to navigate supply chain
issues. Meanwhile, less than 10% of respondents reported health/safety concerns as their primary driver
of ordering groceries online, signifying that digital grocery adoption is not merely a byproduct of the
pandemic.
 Convenience is the #1 Driver of Online Grocery Shopping
When you order groceries online, what is the primary driver of the decision?

Convenience and/or
time constraints
Product availability or
accessbility
Price
Health/Safety concerns
Preference for digital experience
over in-store experience
Other
0% 10%
Less than 10% of
respondents reported
health/safety concerns
as their primary driver
of ordering groceries
online, signifying that
digital grocery adoption
is not merely a byproduct
of the pandemic.
20% 30% 40% 50%

Digital Add-to-Carts and Orders Increase

Over 52% of survey respondents reported placing online grocery orders at least once a week. Special
occasions or holidays, the lowest order-placement cadence, has seen the largest decline in response
popularity since January 2020, with just 14% of respondents selecting that option this year.

Most Shoppers Place Online Grocery Orders Weekly

2020 2021 2022
How often do you place an online grocery order?

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
More than once a week Once a week Once a month Special occasions or
holidays
Of course, before an order is placed, the consumer needs to add items to their shopping cart. The
frequency at which they do so gives us insight into how they’re utilizing their digital carts and how
often they’re browsing online.

The 2022 Grocery Shopper Adds Items to Their Digital Cart More Often
How often do you add grocery products to your
2020 2021 2022
online shopping cart?

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Daily Few times a week Weekly Every few weeks

Based on the data we collected, more frequent add-to-cart cadences are gaining in popularity, with
the majority of shoppers adding items weekly or a few times a week. Meanwhile, every few weeks,
the lowest add-to-cart cadence, is declining in popularity. This suggests that shoppers are spending
more time browsing online and may be more likely to use online carts to build their shopping lists,
regardless of where they complete their purchases.

This increase in add-to-cart frequency is a big win for brands. Of shoppers who reported adding
groceries to their cart daily, 90% reported placing an online order at least weekly. The more brands can
inspire a shopper to add items to cart, the more likely they are to see returns.
 How often do you place online grocery orders?
Shoppers who add items to cart daily said:

Once a month
10.4%

More than once a week

45.5%

Once a week
44.2%

Online Grocery is Popular Across Ages & Genders

Examining demographics, men and women are fairly matched in their add-to-cart and order-
placement behaviors. Approximately 68% of women and 67% of men add grocery products to their
carts a minimum of once a week (daily, few times a week or weekly). Men and women also agree on
how often they place orders, with weekly being the most popular response among both groups.

Men and Women Have Similar Online Grocery Shopping Behaviors

How often do you add grocery products to your online shopping cart?

Daily
Men
Few times a week

Weekly

Women
Every few weeks

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
There aren’t drastic differences in online shopping behaviors across age groups either. Approximately
11% of our youngest respondents (18-29 year olds) and 9% of our oldest respondents (60+ year olds)
place online grocery orders more than once a week, a difference of 2%. The slight variations we do see
across age groups can likely be attributed to differences in online grocery adoption and proficiency.

Online Grocery Usership is Popular Across Generations

How often do you add grocery products to your online shopping cart?

18 - 29
Daily

30 - 44 Few times a week

45 - 60 Weekly

Every few weeks

60+

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Online Shoppers Shell Out for the Essentials

50% of respondents typically spend $50 - $100 on their online grocery orders. Of that pool, almost
60% reported placing an order at least once a week, hinting at the growing value of the online grocery
shopper. We also see an overall increase in the total amount spent year-over-year. Over one third
(35%) of respondents reported spending over $100 in an online order, up almost 16% from 2021.

Over ⅓ of Shoppers Spend $100+ On Online Grocery Orders

How often do you typically spend on an online grocery order? 2020 2021 2022

60%

40%

20%

0%
$0 - $50 $50 - $100 $100+

For 33% of shoppers, it’s pantry staples and supplies that are driving the majority of their spend. This
suggests that shoppers are relying on online ordering for essentials, not just spur-of-the-moment
wants, like snacks. These items also hold up during transport well, making them a no-brainer to add to
cart. Surprising to some, dairy or meat comes in as the second most popular item to make up an online
shopper’s cart. Again, this may be a nod to the fact that shoppers are using digital solutions to quickly
get must-have items, like milk, cheese and eggs. As online grocery shopping adoption increases, we
expect shoppers’ comfortability ordering perishable items, like dairy or produce, to grow.
 Most Popular Grocery Items in an Online Shopper’s Cart
What is most likely to make up most of your online shopping cart?
Household
Goods
7.5%
Pantry Staples
and Supplies
Specialty 32.7%
Items
7.5%

Produce
16.6%

Dairy or Meat
Snacks 18.0%
17.6%

Online shoppers don’t exclusively buy their grocery products from grocery retailers. In fact, 65% of
respondents reported that they order grocery products from drug stores monthly. When shoppers
order from drug stores, their purchases primarily consist of personal care items (41%) or snacks
(19%). Perishable food items aren’t completely out of the question for the drug-store shopper though,
as 10% of respondents reported that produce makes up the bulk of their order.

Most Popular Grocery Items to Order from a Drug Store

What does your purchase usually consist of when you purchase from a drug store?

Pantry Staples
and Supplies
Personal Care
5.7%
(deodorant,
OTC medicine,
Dairy or Meat shampoos, etc.)
7.9% 40.8%

Miscellaneous
(cards, wrapping
paper, etc.)
8.3%
Household Goods
(cleaning supplies,
sponges, rubber
gloves, etc.) Snacks
8.5% 18.4%
Produce
10.4%
More Opportunity for Digital-First Grocery Retailers

Walmart and Amazon come in as the top online grocery retailers for a third year in a row. Instacart,
notably, held its position at #3. Considering Instacart has no brick-and-mortar locations, and is solely
focused on grocery delivery, its place at #3 is impressive and reflective of the overall rise in popularity
of digital grocery solutions.

Most Popular Online Grocery Retailers

Which retailer do you use most often to order groceries online?

Walmart

Amazon

Instacart

Target

Other

Kroger

Albertsons/Safeway

Stop & Shop/Giant Foods

Shipt

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Walmart is most popular among 45-60 year olds. In contrast, Instacart is most popular among 18-
29 year olds. Considering Walmart is a household name with brick-and-mortar stores, and Instacart
is a younger, digital-first retailer, this demographic difference tracks. As our youngest generation of
respondents mature, we will likely see more households embracing and trusting digital-first retailers
like Instacart or Shipt.
 Preferred Online Grocery Retailer by Age Group
Which retailer do you use most often to order groceries online?

Instacart
75%
Kroger

50% Target

25%
Amazon

Walmart
0%
18 - 29 30 - 44 45 - 60 60+

Digital Tools & Recipes Key to Grocery Shopping Experience

Digital tools and recipes aren’t solely utilized by the online-only grocery shopper. In fact, 40% of
respondents reported using digital recipes monthly to prepare for their in-store trips. Approximately
27% reported using them at least once a week for the same purpose.

Grocery Shoppers Use Digital Recipes to Prepare for In-Store Trips

How often do you use digital recipes and online tools to plan for your in-store shopping trip?

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Once a month A few times a month Once a week More than once a week
Shoppable ads, which allow consumers to purchase items by engaging with the ad, are an effective
means of driving items to cart. However, for CPG and grocery brands especially, it matters where those
shoppable ads are placed. Digital recipes are the third most popular place where shoppers would buy
grocery products from a shoppable ad, after coupon and retailer sites. Social media channels are the
least popular. This is because context matters. Brands are most likely to reach high-intent shoppers in
places where the shopper is meal planning or building their grocery list already: retailer, coupon and
recipe/food sites.

Relevant Content Drives Highest Ad Engagement

How likely are you to buy a product from a shoppable ad within...?

Coupon or
circular sites Not at all likely

Retailer’s website Somewhat likely

Digital recipes Likely

Digital ads on
Very likely
websites

Influencer’s blog Extremely likely

Social media N/A

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Top Takeaway for CPGs

Online grocery usership has the potential to grow stronger this year as brands and retailers prioritize
digital solutions. The 2022 online grocery shopper is willing to spend more money, more frequently,
which will likely yield higher returns for those investing in digital advertising solutions — as long as
those solutions are catering to high-intent shoppers in context that makes sense.

To learn more about advertising within digital recipes, reach out to hello@chicory.com.

Methodology

Chicory began surveying online grocery shoppers, ages 18 to 85, in January 2020.
Subsequent surveys were conducted in January 2021 and January 2022 in order to
quantify year-over-year shifts in online grocery usership.

The breakdown of survey respondents is as follows:

January 2020: 1,083
January 2021: 582
January 2022: 1,017

The most recent survey, January 2022, was conducted on December 27, 2021.