Food: Since the beginning of the pandemic, consumers have been ordering more often on the Internet

A good quarter of people in Germany (26 percent) now and then order groceries online – significantly more than before the corona pandemic. The Corona crisis has apparently “sustainably” changed the purchasing behavior of consumers, said the digital association Bitkom on Tuesday. Before the pandemic, only 16 percent of people bought their groceries online from time to time.

Younger people in particular continue to order apples, pasta and lemonade online and have the products delivered, according to a survey by Bitkom: 32 percent of 16 to 29-year-olds often or occasionally order food and drinks online from 30- to 49-year-olds were slightly more at 36 percent. Even among the 50 to 64 year olds, 26 percent still use the online offers. Only in the age group 65 and over does the desire to shop on the Internet decrease significantly by eight percent.

Consumers use different online offers: Ten percent of them have subscriptions for vegetable boxes or order online from farm shops. Eight percent order from supermarket chains such as Rewe, and another seven percent use online platforms such as Ebay. Seven percent also use delivery services with immediate service such as Gorillas or Flink.

“During the corona pandemic, many people tried out new ways to go shopping and for the first time bought groceries via the Internet,” explained Bitkom CEO Bernhard Rohleder. According to the survey, 53 percent of people who now shop for groceries online ordered groceries online for the first time during the pandemic. The pandemic gave the online grocery trade “a sustained strong boost,” said Rohleder.

The survey was conducted by telephone in June and July 2021. Around 1000 people aged 16 and over were interviewed.