Consumer Digest: Omnichannel Trends February 2025
Who is the omnichannel shopper?
The omnichannel shopper is someone who buys their grocery and household needs both online and in-store. They are also called hybrid shoppers.
The omnichannel shopper is more likely to be:
Millennial (215 Index)
Have children (178 Index)
Highly Engaged with Natural & Organic (140 Index)
High Convenience Seekers (135 Index)
Larger HHs, 5+ (132 Index)
…than the in–store shopper.
Omnichannel defined by the shopper: What do they expect to be same/similar when shopping the same retailer online & in-store?
49%: I expect everything to be the same
36%: Pricing is the same online & in-store
34%: Coupons available are the same
SAY – 55% of omnichannel shoppers say they shop mostly online, and some in-store.
55%: Mostly online, some in-store
25%: Mostly in-store, some online
20%: Online and in-store equally
DO - Omni-shoppers still make 83% of their trips in-store
83% of Trips are In-store
17% of Trips are Pickup/ Delivery
Reasons omnichannel shoppers choose to buy online and in-store…
Overwhelmingly, omnichannel shoppers use pickup and delivery for convenience, with 86% citing it as the reason they shop those methods.
Why do they shop online for Pickup or Delivery?
Top 5 reasons omnichannel shoppers shop in-store are more varied and are more merchandising related.
Why do they shop In-Store?
45%: Product availability (e.g., in stock)
43%: Sales and promotions
42%: Selection/assortment
37%: Location
35%: Easy to navigate the store
While they choose to shop pickup & delivery primarily for convenience, omnichannel shoppers also put heavy emphasis on Price/Savings when shopping online:
Savings features & the ability to build a cart throughout the week are among omnichannel shoppers’ favorite features when shopping online
Favorite features of online grocery
79%: Digital coupons
58%: Ability to build a cart throughout the week
57%: Promotional offers and weekly ads
48%: Recent purchases and product suggestions
46%: ‘On my way’ feature for pickup orders
43%: Tracking order progress
The average online basket is built in 2.2 sessions per order.
Better savings, reduced fees, & product selection would encourage omnichannel shoppers to shop more online:
57%: If the price or savings were better online
49%: If there were lower fees for online services (e.g. delivery fees, driver tips, etc.)
36%: If I was confident someone could select the items I want
31%: If I could get a certain product or brand online that I couldn’t get in-store
25%: If there was more selection of products
Other reasons include:
24%: If it was more convenient or would save time
21%: If it was easier to find items online
18%: If there was faster delivery
13%: If the shopping experience was more personalized
Preferences for Online vs. In-store
When directly comparing shopping methods, Omnichannel shoppers choose to shop online vs. in-store because it fits their lifestyle.
Top reasons to shop online vs. in-store:
67%: To save time
55%: I can shop from any location any time of day
50%: Ability to stay away from crowds
They choose to shop in-store vs. online because in-store shopping helps meet specific item needs and allows them to have control.
Top reasons to shop in-store vs. online:
47%: If it’s a special trip to buy a specific item
42%: I don’t want to meet a minimum order requirement
38%: I don’t want to worry about getting the wrong item
67% of omnichannel shoppers say they choose to shop online over in-store to save time, but when asked about time spent ordering, only 53% say they spend less time ordering online
53%: I spend less time ordering online
28%: I spend about the same amount of time
19%: I spend more time ordering online
Shopper preferences among categories
Freshly picked categories (Meat, Bakery, Produce) top the types of categories omnichannel shoppers prefer to shop in-store.
Freshness and the ability to personally select are the top reasons people prefer to buy Produce, Bakery, and Deli/Meat In-store. This allows them to both get the quality they want and buy what fits their household size and budget.
Why do you prefer to purchase certain categories in-store
“I prefer produce to be as fresh and non bruised, damaged as possible. I prefer certain meats, fish to be as lean as possible. Smaller portions, cuts are Important to a household of two.”
“I prefer shopping in store for things like produce, meats, and deli items to ensure they are fresh and good quality”
“I prefer to purchase some items in the store because I want to select them myself…I look for good quality and I try to find a price that matches my budget.
“To pick out what I prefer looks, size, etc.”
What’s important when online shopping?
Accuracy and item availability are the most important when shopping online.
Importance when shopping online for grocery & household items – Top 5 (T2B on 7-point scale)
93%: Accuracy of my order
86%: Availability of items on my list
79%: Ability to apply coupons or offers
70%: Ability to find items on sale or promotion
69%: Availability of time slots
Omnichannel shoppers have a variety of frustrations when shopping online, but product availability and substitution issues are among the most stated. Top frustrations chosen:
56%: Product availability
46%: Substitution issues
27%: Delivery fees
26%: Minimum order requirement
25%: Product quality concerns
19%: Limited delivery slots
16%: Technical issues
16%: Miscommunication
13%: Delivery delays
8%: None
4%: Other
Kroger defines a ‘personalized shopping experience’ as one that is tailored to your needs, individual preferences, and behaviors to make grocery shopping more efficient, convenient, and enjoyable.
When asked to describe a ‘personalized shopping experience’ at Kroger, our omnichannel shoppers placed the highest emphasis on personalized product & coupon recommendations based on prior purchases & buying patterns
42% of omnichannel shoppers say a ‘personalized shopping experience’ is very important (T2B) when shopping online at Kroger
However, there are situations where personalization can be a barrier:
“I don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Low prices and good deals are the most important thing.”
“Sometimes I miss new items or good alternate items by looking mostly at my previous items.”
“Sometimes the suggestion type things are a little creepy.... Like how did they know I was thinking about that....”
“Just because I bought something once doesn't mean I will need it again.”
A seamless experience is also expected!
49% of omnichannel shoppers expect everything to be the same when shopping the same retailer both in-store and online - from price & coupons, to product assortment & quality of products
There are some improvement opportunities for online shopping
Omni-shoppers have some ideas on how to enhance and improve shopping online:
Availability/In-stock was the most mentioned improvement theme, many times paired with substitution recommendations.
Coupons were also mentioned frequently, where respondents would like more coupons, coupons to be automatically applied, and to see the subtotal of the item with the coupon applied vs. at checkout.
While availability/in-stock is the most mentioned improvement area, if a grocery item received from their online order is not to their expectation, majority of omni shoppers will take action
What are you most likely to do if a grocery item you receive from your online order is not to your expectation?:
42%: Message customer service through the app/site to request a refund
19%: Call customer service to request a refund
16%: Return the item to the store
11%: Keep the item
5%: Throw the item away
5%: Keep the item and order a replacement
2%: Give the item away
1%: Other
In fact, ¾ of shoppers say they’ve gone in-store the same day as a Pickup or Delivery order.
Top reasons for in-store trips on the same day as pickup or delivery
50%: I forgot to add something to my online cart
27%: An item I wanted was out of stock
22%: To pick up prescription only item at the in-store pharmacy
SOURCE: 84.51° Real Time Insights, February 2025
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