It’s been billed as the ultimate in convenience and enjoyed phenomenal growth over the past few years but according to new research from Mintel, it seems many Brits are yet to click with online grocery shopping – a sign that it will not be plain sailing for Australia’s supermarket chains. Market share of online grocery is considerably higher in the UK, largely due to an earlier commitment by the major retailers. In Australia, Coles and Woolworths have only this year branched out... ...Read more »

Online grocery sales in Australia remain well below the percentage levels seen in countries like the UK, but the roll-out by Coles and Woolworths could yet have a significant impact. In the 12 months to June 2009 37.9% (or 6.7 million Australians) had bought a product or service over the internet in a three month period; a significant increase from the 34.4% or 5.9 million Australians in the previous year to June 2008. It is only recently that the major supermarkets have begun to ramp up there... ...Read more »

Upmarket UK retailer Waitrose has become the first supermarket to invite customers to help shape the future of their food with an exclusive online club. MyWaitrose launched last week with a personal invitation to join from Waitrose MD Mark Price. The site gives members exclusive behind the scenes access to the development of new products and to the experts and food producers that create them. They will be rewarded with monthly special offers to taste and critique new as well as existing products,... ...Read more »

Amazon, the online retailer renowned for selling DVDs, CDs and books, is looking to the grocery sector to boost sales and ensure they can become a ‘one-stop-shop’. The e-tailer first launched a grocery offer in the US in 2007 and is set to expand into the UK, according to reports. In America, their online grocery offer includes over 45,000 non-perishable items and they have begun testing a non-perishable offer in Seattle. And industry sources have told Retail Week that a non-perishable... ...Read more »

UK upmarket specialist online grocer Ocado last week posted record sales figures in a sign that the online grocery sector is steadily making inroads in Britain. They saw sales rise 25 per cent above results of the year before in the four weeks to January 3 despite recessionary headwinds, including a staggering 97% rise in Christmas week sales. Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, also noted that their online grocery business had grown, delivering “very strong sales”. Ocado, which sells products... ...Read more »

In the wake of an Australian survey by Deloitte finding Australians were yet to embrace online grocery shopping, new UK research has established that baby boomers hold the key to growth of online grocery sales. The Golden Generation report, from international food and grocery insight and information providers IGD, predicts that the value of online food and grocery shopping in the UK will nearly double in size by 2013 to be worth £6.2b (A$13.94b) (up from £3.2b in 2008). Food and grocery sales in... ...Read more »

Australians are yet to embrace the internet when it comes to shopping for food and groceries, according to a survey released today by Deloitte. The survey discovered that food and groceries were the least likely of 12 categories to be researched over the internet, with only 6% conducting research online as opposed to 94% in-store. The leader of the category, outings and entertainment, had 73% of people conducting research on-line, highlighting a major gulf between different product categories when... ...Read more »

A new application has launched on Facebook in the UK this month which enables users of the world’s most popular social networking website to buy real beverages for their friends instead of the usual virtual gifts made commonplace on the site. Get Them In allows users to search from a range of alcoholic beverages (and complimentary snacks), select the friend they would like to send it to, pay for the product/s via ‘Google checkout’ and leave a message for their friend with the gift.... ...Read more »