The Data Point: 56% of Consumers Bought Food Online in April, Up 9% Over March

People are undoubtedly back outside, soaking up sunshine and enjoying the sensation of not breathing through a paper mask. Some slowed their online activities in Q1. These are not signs that the pandemic digital shift is over, but that it’s reshuffling for the elusive next normal.

Far from done, our work measuring digital transformation of the world’s largest economies shows that the most advanced nations are only about 27% shifted into fully connected living. Given the upticks seen in our latest sounding, momentum is building again after a brief dip.

For latest ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Report: The Brick-and-Mortar Economy Goes Digital edition, we surveyed over 2,600 U.S. consumers about their digital desires, enduring habits online and connected behaviors that are now part of everyday life. We found consumers engaging in more activities online — even if those activities get them out of the house.

Get your copy: ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Report: The Brick-and-Mortar Economy Goes Digital

• 56% of consumers bought food online in April — a 9% increase from March

Grocery stores were open even during the depths of the pandemic, and they’re more packed with shoppers now than any time in the past two-plus years. While we recorded a Q1 drop in online grocery shopping, consumers went back online for groceries in Q2 in strong numbers.

“The share of consumers who bought groceries online and had them delivered to their homes increased 9% month over month, while the share who ordered them online for same-day delivery increased 14%. We also saw a 10% increase in the share who ordered their groceries online and picked them up in-store. This signals a widespread increase in demand for faster, digitally enabled grocery shopping experiences,” the study states.

• After a drop, roughly 43% of consumers are using aggregators for restaurant orders

Whatever contributed to the drop in online restaurant orders for home delivery in Q1 clearly stopped as Q2 began, with more consumers returning to their favorite delivery dishes.

“Our research showed that consumer usage of aggregators to place restaurant orders dipped 5% between January and February,” per the report, “and they remained roughly level through March. It was not until April that aggregator usage reached its previous height. Roughly 43% of consumers have been using aggregators to order from restaurants ever since.”

• 33% of all consumers now go online to complete at least part of their travel journeys

Engaging with one service digitally leads consumers to interact with others in the flywheel fashion that’s powering digital transformation, and travel is one of the prime examples.

We found that 33% of all consumers are now going online to complete various aspects of travel planning, “far more than seen since November 2021.”

Additionally, five of the 11 activities we measure in the ‘Move’ pillar of the connected economy are those consumers engage in for vacation planning. “These include booking hotels and Airbnbs online, using apps to purchase airfare, using apps or sites to track or obtain travel information and using sites to reserve rental cars,” the study states, adding that “digital engagement in these activities saw a massive increase last month, especially in using sites and apps to reserve hotels. The share of consumers going online to book hotels increased 23%, strongly indicating that consumers are taking the opportunity to travel.”

Get your copy: ConnectedEconomy™ Monthly Report: The Brick-and-Mortar Economy Goes Digital Edition