This is the third installment in a new FMI blog series on Gen Z grocery shopping habits. This series will share compelling research and cover aspects ranging from shopping behaviors to attitudes about values.
By Lucinda Pierce, Specialist, Research & Insights, FMI
As a member of Gen Z, e-commerce as a shopping method has been around longer than it hasn't. With the frequency of my mail carrier's deliveries, it's hard to imagine a time when my needs weren't just a click away. This familiarity with digital touchpoints, paired with a desire for efficiency, makes online shopping a necessity rather than a choice for meeting my grocery needs.
Others of my generation feel and shop the same as I do: 84% of Gen Z shoppers grocery shop online at least occasionally, compared to 67% overall.
While Gen Z does shop online more than other generations, they don't necessarily spend more of their entire grocery budget online. Online shopping only accounts for 24% of their overall weekly grocery spend on par with grocery shoppers overall, who spend 21%.
Gen Z looks for other digital avenues for convenience, such as online subscription-based services, which provide both food items and meal inspiration. Fifty percent of Gen Z shoppers have subscribed to at least one online subscription over the past year, compared to only 26% of shoppers overall.
Although I started using online shopping during the peak of the pandemic, I now rely on it for the complete experience it offers. My primary grocery store provides solutions, both digitally and in-store, and I love how it continually evolves to meet my needs I didn't even realize I had. I don't choose between online or in-store shopping but consider how online shopping can complement my needs.
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