Apps and oranges: how technology is changing the humble grocery shop
Gone are the days of queuing and dragging the whole family to the supermarket. For many Australians, increased broadband connectivity means the weekly food shop is just a click away.
Before the Internet, heading down to the grocery store was the only way to snag specials and decide what to buy. These days however, many Aussie shoppers are beginning the process (which includes consideration, research and preparation) from the comfort of their own homes, rather than taking the journey to the supermarket.
A 2015 Nielsen research survey showed that millennials, and now Generation Z, are leading the charge when it comes to buying groceries online. The study looked at six e-commerce options: home delivery, in-store pickup, drive-through pickup, curbside pickup, virtual supermarket and automatic subscription. Of these options, 30 per cent of Millennials (ages 21-34) and 28% of Generation Z (ages 15-20) respondents say they order groceries online for home delivery, compared with 22% of Generation X (ages 35-49), 17% of Baby Boomers (ages 50-64).
Apps for the home computer and tablet, such as Grocery IQ are also making grocery shopping even simpler. Grocery IQ features an intuitive shopping list, which allows users to build lists and categories from home, and can even sync with other family members’ lists and their smartphones. It also allows users to scan barcodes in store and view any discounts for food being purchased.
Now, online services are taking convenience one-step further. It’s one thing to be able to make a list and order groceries with the click of a mouse, but it’s another to have the ingredients and cooking instructions delivered without the effort of planning it yourself. Thanks to the team at HelloFresh3, even the busiest Aussies can produce restaurant quality meals from home. Simply subscribe through the website and they will plan and deliver ‘everything but the chef’ directly to homes around Australia, including freshly sourced ingredients and balanced recipes that vary each week.
Online shopping has no doubt seen a boost thanks to continued increases in mobile adoption and broadband penetration; and with home delivery services and apps, saving time and money for Aussie families it’s easy to see why many are opting to ditch length queues for a stress-free home shopping experience.
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