For the first time ever, different generations are entering the phase of grocery shopping – each with their own preferences, expectations, and lifestyle choices. While some might prefer shopping for essential grocery items like fresh fruits & vegetables online, there is another group looking forward to spending on additional products like cigarettes online and so on.
Each generation, from millennials to Gen Zs, is changing the grocery shopping scenario. Ultimately, it all comes down to consumer behaviour.
Consume behaviour is known to span a wide range of aspects, including both emotional and behavioural responses of consumers to buying items like groceries. At the same time, socioeconomic status, psychological manners, and cultural traits are all factors that play a vital role in determining the changing grocery habits of consumers. Different generations tend to abide by different shopping preferences.
Understanding the Generational Divide
How does each generation prefer shopping for groceries? It is one of the most important questions grocery providers aim to cater to while enhancing the experience of customers of all age groups, whether they are shopping online or at brick-and-mortar stores. Grocery shopping habits have transformed significantly as the rapidly-moving digital transformation has taken hold of all businesses – especially retailers.
One of the most striking differences between generations and their shopping behaviours starts with the most basic preferences and habits. How frequently do members of different generations shop for groceries? Recent research reports on the grocery shopping habits of Gen Zs and millennials reveal that they are the most frequent grocery shoppers. Millennials and Gen Zs are known to make around 4.5 grocery trips monthly. On the other hand, research also reveals that this bustling generation prefers the overall convenience and speed of online grocery shopping to their predecessors.
The Role of Digital Grocery Shopping
The global digital transformation has brought about a major effect on almost every industry vertical. As such, the world of grocery shopping is not left behind. Technology has assisted leading grocery retail businesses around the world to cater to their customers in new & innovative ways. To top it all, buyers of every generation have access to multiple options when it comes to buying groceries.
Digital grocery shopping apps like Swiggy Instamart facilitate doorstep grocery delivery and convenient payment options. Some of the advanced features of these apps include digital coupons, instant payments, and seamless delivery options.
More than any generation, Gen Z has experienced a life never without the internet. Out of Gen Z shoppers, it is estimated that 42 percent of shoppers prepare a dedicated grocery shopping list featuring basic items like veggies, fruits, snacks, and even cigarettes online.
Embracing Brand Loyalty
How often do consumers think about brands while shopping for groceries? Brand loyalty serves to be an influential factor for consumers of any business -particularly grocery stores. In most major metropolitan areas, customers usually have choices between online grocery stores. In the highly competitive space, numbers can be quite high.
Customers continue to shop for their favourite brands year after year – sometimes throughout their lives. Research indicates that around 7 in 10 consumers across the globe feel loyalty towards at least one company or service provider. How does it look for grocery stores? Research on the shopping habits of modern generations indicates that Boomers tend to be the most loyal customers. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of Boomers are purchasing the same products as the previous year.
It is also observed that Boomers do not just buy the same products. They also buy from the same online grocery store. At the same time, millennials remain the least loyal customers to brands and online stores. In this group, only 48 percent agree that they do not typically care about the brand they purchase from. If they come across a better deal somewhere, they will surely grab it.
Grocery Shopping Habits of Millennials and Gen-Zs
- Focus on Fresh & Healthy Food
As these are the generations that have received education with respect to food and being healthy, millennials and Gen-Zs put great emphasis on overall health & wellness. Therefore, while shopping for groceries online, these groups order fresh fruits and vegetables to follow a healthy diet.
- Spending Habits
As per a study conducted on both groups, it was found that millennials tend to spend slightly more than Gen Zs on grocery shopping. The difference in spending habits can be attributed to the higher income range of millennials in comparison to Gen Zs, who might still be dependent on their guardians to buy groceries.
- Coupons and Grocery Lists
There is no denying the fact that spending some time planning for your grocery shopping can prevent impulsive shopping. It is estimated that both generations are keen on preparing a grocery list before they make final purchases. At the same time, millennials were found to make use of more coupon codes than Gen Zs.
- Online Grocery Shopping
As both generations grew up in a culture experiencing the boom of the internet, millennials and Gen Zs have been extremely attracted to the concept of online grocery shopping. As per study reports, it is believed that both millennials and Gen Zs are avid online grocery shoppers.
Conclusion
The grocery shopping preferences of different generations reflect their unique choices, lifestyles, and values. Understanding these differences is important to analyze the diverse shopping habits and how one generation can learn good habits from the other.
Whether you wish to shop for fruits, veggies, or even cigarettes online, Swiggy Instamart serves as your one-stop destination to get online groceries in no time, right at your doorstep.
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