8 reasons why online grocery shopping is here to stay
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on many industries and forced many companies to close. But while bricks and motor organisations may have taken a hammering in many sectors, one thing’s for sure - eCommerce businesses are thriving.
Our love of online shopping just keeps growing it seems, and undoubtedly, grocery shopping with a click is here to stay. Here’s why.
1. It’s convenient
It sure is convenient to do your grocery shopping in the comfort of your own home - or just about anywhere from your phone for that matter! With just a few minutes spent browsing, clicking on the products you want to buy, and entering your payment information, you’ll have your groceries at your doorstep in next to no time. It’s fast and easy, and you don’t need to battle the traffic to get to the supermarket.
2. It saves you a lot of time and money
No matter how close you live to the grocery store, it still takes time and petrol to get there. And once you make it to the supermarket, you’ve got all of that wandering up and down the aisles trying to find what you’re looking for. Then of course there’s the queue at the checkout (manned or not – even the self-checkouts often seem to have wait times these days, and with the lead up to Christmas it’s only going to get worse). And let’s not forget the time it takes to lug those groceries back to the car and then drive home again.
Contrast that to 10 minutes or so doing your grocery shopping while you have your morning coffee – definitely time and money saved there!
3. You only buy what you need
We’re all guilty of impulse buys when we’re at the supermarket. Stores put huge amounts of effort into making sure products are placed in the right spot to catch your eye, and all of those end-of-aisle promotions are there for a reason – to get you to buy more stuff while you’re out shopping. But with the rising cost of living, many of us are tightening our financial belts and trying to spend less, so it totally makes sense to shop online and avoid the temptation.
4. Free delivery
Australia’s two biggest supermarkets, Coles online and Woolworths online, both offer free delivery if you spend over $250 (which sadly doesn’t take much these days!). Alternatively, you can choose to pay a monthly fee ($19 at Coles or $15 at Woolworths) for unlimited free deliveries. Both supermarkets have a range of delivery options depending on when you order and when you need your items delivered, and Choice recently published a great article comparing both brands.
5. Bulk-buying is easier
As many of us may know, buying in bulk is the way to go if we want to cut our grocery costs, especially when non-perishable items are on sale. But it’s not always convenient to do this when you’re in store since it can take up too much space in your cart and your car. But when you shop online, you can add as much as you want to your virtual cart and just wait for it to be delivered right to your door.
6. You keep track of your spending
The beauty of spending online is that as you add items to your shopping cart, you automatically see what the total is adding up to – making it much easier to keep your budget under control. If you’re at the physical checkout in store and you’ve already reached your budget but still have half your items sitting in your trolley, it’s not so easy to go back and change things for a cheaper brand or just not buy them at all if they’ve already been scanned. But when you shop online, you can add and delete items with just a few clicks, giving you much more control over your budget.
7. The more you shop the easier it gets
The great thing about creating an account and shopping online is that your account holds your history, so your supermarket knows your favourite items, and you can quickly shop from a list of these. You can also create your own favourites lists – so even if you don’t buy something every shop, you can add it to your list so when you do need to buy it, it’s easy to find and click.
8. It’s just better for the environment
It stands to reason that online grocery shopping is better for the environment because it means there are less cars on the road. Sure, your groceries still need to be delivered – but by a van that is delivering multiple orders and following the most efficient route, so greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. Just by shopping online you’re doing your bit to help save the world!
Happy shopping!
These are only a few reasons why online grocery shopping is definitely here to stay. Why take more time out of your busy day doing boring things like grocery shopping when you can do it all with a few clicks!
We also understand that the rising cost of living can be a challenge, so if you need some additional funds to help with those escalating household bills, we’re here to help. Just take a look at our cash loans up to $5,000 to find out how quick and easy it is to get your hands on some extra funds. Once a loan is approved, the cash is usually in your bank account within a few hours – so you can relax and stop worrying about how you’re going to pay for them.