You may have noticed, but it’s not always as easy as it used to be to bag a delivery slot when it comes to your online grocery shop. We explore the reasons why so many of us have switched to doing the weekly food shop online and why this is a situation unlikely to change any time soon.

The Pandemic

It can seem as if the pandemic is behind everything these days – and in the case of the rise of online shopping, that’s certainly accurate. With social distancing de rigueur for much of the last two years and the frequency of people needing to self-isolate for extended periods, ordering in the grocery shop remotely was something that both the government advised us to do and a necessity for those of us unable to leave our homes.

Those adults considered vulnerable, and so particularly at risk of complications from the covid virus, often chose to move to online grocery shopping even if not isolating, as a precaution against exposing themselves to possible infection.

With the pandemic showing no signs of abating, it is likely that the demand for online grocery slots will only continue to grow as more and more people choose to stay away from crowds to protect themselves, and a significant proportion of the population remains in isolation at any given time. Want to know the ten best online grocery shops? Have a look at this article: https://www.top10.com/online-grocery, which breaks down costs, ease of ordering and looks at the pros and cons of each option to help you choose the service that’s best for you.

Access To The Internet

More people than ever before now have access to a high-speed internet connection in their homes, and this has been a fundamental factor in pushing up the demand for online grocery deliveries. Of course, this has also been partly fuelled by the pandemic, as those who may not previously have been confident using a device have got to grips with tech in order to stay in contact with family, friends, and the outside world.

But there are other factors at play in this increased access, too. Recent governments have emphasized ensuring that as many homes in the country have a reliable connection to the internet, and the cost of tech has become more affordable to many. As a result of the continual coming to market of more advanced options, older laptops, and PCs, for example, become less expensive, and refurbished items make for a cost-effective means of getting connected, too.

Busy Lives

Our daily lives are getting busier: fact. With more people working full-time than ever before and families where both parents work full-time increasingly common, fitting in an in-person trip to the grocery store among all our other work, childcare, and social commitments, can be difficult to do. Plus, at the end of a day spent running from pillar to post, battling through the aisles of a supermarket doesn’t often seem too appealing.

We live in a time, too, when the importance of leisure time and making space to see friends is recognized as being vital to our wellbeing. Past generations may well have felt a little uneasy about binning off the regular trip to the store to get some r and r time instead, or to meet up with buddies for a quick drink and a cathartic chat about our collective days. Now, though, the importance of changing gear and having downtime is largely recognized as being crucial, so there’s no guilt about switching to an online grocery shop to help shoehorn more of this good stuff into our lives.

Increased Choice

Supermarkets and other stores offering online food deliveries now offer a vast range of choices, which has helped grow the numbers of people using these services regularly. For example, Veganism, dairy-free, and a plethora of other special diets are catered for, and most online shops have a large range of organic or enhanced welfare options.

The rise in the number of different supermarkets offering home delivery to customers has also both satisfied and fueled demand for spots: high-end stores known for their luxury ranges now offer online delivery. Supermarkets are increasingly branching out, too, in terms of the types of products that can be added to a standard grocery shop, which has also increased in people booking slots: toys, greetings cards, homeware, clothing, art supplies, and small items of furniture are all examples of items that can be added to your virtual trolley along with the milk, cheese, and eggs.

What Does The Future Hold?

When surveyed, the vast majority of people claim that they will continue to order their grocery shop online even once the pandemic has passed. With the convenience that this option offers, plus with new tech developing seemingly every day that will likely make the experience of online shopping ever easier, it is safe to say that online shopping will remain the standard mode of stocking our kitchen cupboards for the foreseeable future.