By 2023, nearly 40% of French households will be Drive-Thru food shops, according to an article by Nielsen IQ1. Meanwhile, 60% of Britons claim to do their shopping online2. Although inflation had caused this channel to fall back somewhat, it remained "close to the record levels reached in the first year of the pandemic". However, the demographics of this sales channel are not necessarily similar to those of other eCommerce platforms. In Europe, who shops groceries online and why?
Millennials, big fans of online groceries
Unlike other areas of e-commerce, which are largely dominated by Generation Z, Millennials are Europe's leading Drive shoppers. In France, they account for 42% of online shoppers.3compared with 58% in the UK4. This generation, aged between 25 and 40, is mainly made up of young working people and "young parents with babies or children in primary school", according to an IRI study. In fact, Drive Millennials generally place their orders at lunchtime on weekdays, and collect them after their working day.5.
Freedom and time-saving: the watchwords of online shopping
Whether they're young professionals or not, Drive enthusiasts in Europe prefer this circuit for two reasons: freedom and time savings. In fact, 42% of French respondents to a Segments survey believe that a visit to a hypermarket is a waste of time.5. For 61% of consumers, on the contrary, Drive gives them the freedom to do and pick up their shopping whenever they want. This compelling argument for Drive customers is naturally combined with the other main advantage of this channel: saving time. For 84% of users, speed is in fact the main reason for using retailer websites and apps.5. In fact, according to a Que Choisir report, a Drive order is placed in 29 minutes and picked up in just 15 minutes.6. In the UK, a Spryker study carried out in 2022 reported the same findings for Drive food customers2.
Greater purchasing power on the Drive
In France, only 6% of impulse purchases are made online, compared with over 20% in-store.5. What's more, it's estimated that one in three Drive orders is made from a cell phone. The use of a smartphone - i.e., a smaller screen - reduces the visibility of products, and therefore the likelihood of an impulse purchase. On the other side of the Channel, 54% of Britons say they are more likely to make unplanned purchases in-store than online (41%).7. This remarkable difference in the proportion of impulse purchases is nevertheless beneficial for consumers, who can better control their budgets and improve their purchasing power through this channel.
Conclusion
Time savings, freedom and budget control are all arguments that appeal to Drive customers in Europe. However, this sales channel, very popular with young working people, leaves little room for unplanned purchases, and therefore represents a challenge for retailers. To trigger impulse purchases on their sites and apps, they can therefore turn to innovative solutions, such as suggesting personalized recipes during the purchasing process.
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