The latest BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor for Q2 2014 reveals that UK grocery-related searches grew by 22% across all devices, with searches conducted on smartphones growing by 94% year-on-year.
According to the BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor, UK grocery search volumes across mobile devices grew by 22% in the second quarter of 2014 compared to a year earlier — further proof that shoppers are increasingly moving to the online channel for both the convenience it delivers and to find best value deals.
These latest findings are in line with IGD’s annual UK grocery forecasts (published in April), which predict that online will be the fastest growing channel for grocery over the next five years. IGD forecasts that online grocery sales will reach £16.9 billion by 2019, almost doubling from its current 4.4% base to represent 8.3% of total grocery sales.
The 94% rise in smartphone searches suggests that shoppers are increasingly researching their purchases in-store, leveraging mobile technology to find both the products that meet their specific needs — as well as the best prices.
Commenting on the study, Helen Dickinson, Director General of the BRC said: “Customers, it seems, are looking for the best value across everything they buy. Grocery retailers with a great online offer are set to benefit as consumers turn to looking online for the best prices for the food they buy.”
According to IGD’s Senior Retail Analyst Lisa Byfield-Green, who discusses how online grocery will grow over the next five years in Essential Retail, “Online shopping is not new, but our attitude towards it is. As our lifestyles become busier and mobile technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives, we are increasingly becoming on-the-go consumers. Online shopping is convenient as it saves us time and fuel, while allowing us to fit in grocery shopping around our busy schedules.”
The convergence of online and in-store looks set to continue its rapid growth, with online grocers continuing to introduce more tools that help shoppers make better in-store decisions which save them time and money.
Profitero will be attending IGD’s Online and Digital Summit in November. Come and speak to us to find out how Profitero is helping grocers around the world take advantage of the continued growth in eCommerce, or email us at sales@profitero.com.
About Profitero
Profitero collects online data on more than 250 million products every day, delivering global online insights and eCommerce intelligence to the world’s biggest retailers and brands.
We provide both brick & mortar and online retailers with their competitors’ prices, promotions and full product assortment information. More than 50 global retailers, including Staples, Waitrose, Ocado, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club and Worten, rely on Profitero’s accurate and timely competitor price intelligence to make better informed and more profitable pricing decisions, helping them to increase sales as well as margins.
Profitero also supplies brands with critical online insights, helping to enhance their online sales and market positioning. We deliver key online metrics, including share of online shelf, share of voice, pricing, brand price monitoring and new product monitoring, in any country and from any online or multichannel retailer, updated every day.
