“Grocery retailing has arguably already entered its post-pandemic state. It experienced rapid change in the early months – with sales spikes, widespread shortages and concerns about virus transmission – but quickly settled into its new normal. Today, most Canadians are comfortable going to the grocery store and little will change once the pandemic actually ends.
Looking ahead, a big question will be about what role online shopping can play. It initially surged in relevance, but remains niche in 2021. Given how important in-person shopping is in grocery retail, its most likely trajectory is to become a complementary tool that supports a hybrid in-person/online grocery shopping experience rather than a standalone option for shoppers.”
– Scott Stewart, Associate Director, Lifestyles & Retail
This Report covers the following areas:
- Grocery shopping responsibilities and frequency.
- Where groceries are purchased: in-store or online.
- Motivators for online grocery shoppers to use that channel.
- How shoppers prefer to purchase certain grocery categories.
- Common behaviours among in-store shoppers.