Who Shops for Groceries Online

Who Shops for Groceries Online?

by Brandon J. Restrepo and Eliana Zeballos

A notable shift toward online grocery shopping is occurring. To examine the prevalence and frequency of online grocery shopping, the methods of receiving groceries purchased online, and the primary motivators prompting U.S. consumers to buy groceries online, this report uses nationally representative data from the USDA, Economic Research Service's 2022 Eating and Health Module of the American Time Use Survey. The analysis reveals that about one in five individuals who usually do any grocery shopping in their household purchased groceries online at least once in the past month. Shoppers more likely to buy groceries online than their counterparts and who shopped online more frequently were female, ages 15-24, non-Hispanic White, married or partnered, from a household with young children, more educated, income ineligible for SNAP benefits, or frequently did the grocery shopping in their households. Pick-up and delivery options were chosen almost equally, and more than two in five online grocery shoppers cited time constraints as the main reason the shoppers chose to buy groceries online. Examining the drivers of online grocery shopping can inform program, policy, and retailer decision-making-given the potential for online grocery shopping to improve food access, foster healthier purchases, and alter the food retail landscape.

Keywords: Online grocery shopping, prevalence, frequency, Eating and Health Module, American Time Use Survey

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Report summary