Online supermarkets: consumers limit their purchases, as they do in brick-and-mortar stores

The electronic “basket” of the supermarket is getting smaller and smaller, as price increases lead to the fact that consumers are trying to save money, however, as well as in physical (real) stores.

At the same time, the share of private label products, which are increasingly chosen by consumers when ordering in online supermarkets, is increasing. However, it is worth noting that, despite the fact that restrictions due to COVID-19 are no longer there, sales of online supermarkets are holding steady (in real terms and excluding inflation), which means that this is an “open road” for grocery retailers. retail and a “good idea” for investment in this category of stores.

According to data published by Convert Group, the turnover of e-supermarkets in the first quarter of 2023 amounted to 76 million euros, an increase of 10% compared to the corresponding period last year. This figure does not include the “players” of the so-called “fast commerce” (delivery of grocery orders in less than 60 minutes), namely BOH, eFood Market, Instashop, Pop Market, Rabbit and Wolt Market, thosewhich, according to Convert Group, are constantly increasing their share in the Greek market.

The sales made through their collaboration with the above platforms are included in the Sklavenitis, AB Vassilopoulos, MyMarket, Masoutis, Kritikos, Thanopoulos and e-fresh.gr networks. These partnerships are in some cases the “key” to e-sales success. A typical example is efood’s exclusive collaboration with Sklavenitis, which market experts call the strongest electronic sales channel in the organized food retail category.

The increase in prices led to an increase in orders in online stores by 9%. Market research has shown that it is easier for consumers to shop in online supermarkets, however, the number of products they buy is gradually decreasing.

So, if in January 2023 the average electronic “basket” contained 33.1 goods, then in February it was 32.8, and in March it decreased to 32.2 goods. Compared to the first quarter of 2022, the number of goods in the average basket decreased by 10% in the first quarter of 2023. It is worth noting that at the same time, the share of private label products (in value terms) in the sales of electronic supermarkets amounted to 15.2%, an increase of one and a half percentage points compared to the corresponding period in 2022, and the share in volume amounted to 18.7%, having strengthened by 1 .4 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2022.

Categories with the largest increase in sales value in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022:

• 33% pet products,
• 19% office supplies and cleaning products,
• 13% drinks (including soft drinks),
• 11% bakery products,
• 10% goods for children,
• 8% fresh products,
• 8% frozen food,
• 6% products for care and beauty.

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