COVID-19 came into the world and shut down many areas of the economy. As a result, people have had to rethink the way that they usually do things. For instance, one way that people are trying to stop the spread of this deadly virus is by limiting how often they leave their homes. A typical grocery shopping trip now takes a bit more planning. There are long lines to get into stores and limits on how much you can purchase. One of the many ways that people are avoiding coming into contact with others is by using online grocery shopping.
COVID-19: Increase in Online Grocery Shopping
In the past month, 31 percent of households in the United States that were surveyed have used online grocery services of some type. Out of the 31 percent that has used these types of services, state that they have used a particular online grocery shopping service for the first time.
Long Wait Times for Orders
With so many people choosing to purchase their groceries online, there has been a downside. In the past, when you were using a service such as online grocery pickup from Walmart or ClickList from Kroger, you would be able to have your groceries ready for you the same day or even the next day after you place your order. With such a massive increase in demand for online orders and pickup, stores are having difficulty keeping up. This means that people are seeing up to two week wait time when they are ordering their groceries. At times, you might not even be able to find a pickup time available for the next several weeks. If you genuinely do not want to go into a grocery store right now, you need to plan way ahead for the groceries that you might need in a few weeks.
Grocery stores have been hiring more temporary people during this crisis as a way to try to offer services, such as online ordering, that is so in demand. However, many people who are not working are now receiving unemployment and do not want to work in an environment that may or may not be very safe. This means that current employees of grocery stores are overworked and likely underpaid.
Will the Rise in Online Grocery Shopping Continue?
Grocery stores right now can expect this online grocery shopping trend to continue, at least for the near future. This means that the grocery store chains will need to try to staff their online shoppers according to the high increase in demand. It is also thought that many people will continue to use online grocery shopping services after this is over.
One of the reasons that people might continue to use online grocery shopping services is because of the convenience of this type of shopping offers. People who have used the services in the past already know how great it can be. New users of these services quickly realize the convenience of these services. While there are still going to be people who decide to go back to doing their grocery shopping in the future, grocery stores will likely see a definite increase in their online shopping programs as a result of COVID-19.
Conclusion
Overall, COVID-19 has made a significant impact on the world in many ways. Online grocery shopping is just one area that is seeing a huge demand. The longer that the restrictions for each state are in place, the more effective it is going to have on the economy and services such as grocery shopping and food delivery.
What can Fortress Nutrition LLC do for you?
Rest assured that you’re in good hands with Fortress Nutrition. To learn more about how we tailor our blending, ingredient sourcing, logistics, consumer packaging, and other services to meet customer needs, and to find out how we can partner with you to ensure compliance with new GMO laws, contact us today.