One in Four Consumers See Curbside Pickup as Top Differentiator for eGrocers

curbside pickup

Grocery shoppers want to be able to get their groceries quickly and conveniently online without springing for high-cost delivery options. Curbside pickup provides a happy medium, enabling consumers to get their groceries without getting out of their cars while avoiding delivery fees, and without the cost of the labor for grocers or third-party providers.

In fact, according to data from PYMNTS’ study “Satisfaction In The Age Of eCommerce: How Trust Helps Online Merchants Build Customer Loyalty,” created in collaboration with Riskified, one in four consumers cites the ability to order curbside pickup as the single most important digital feature when shopping with online grocers, a greater share than any other feature.

Related news: Report: Merchants Risk Losing 40% of Online Retail, Grocery Customers Over Trust

Plus, the study, which drew from a census-balanced survey of more than 2,100 U.S. adults, found that offering curbside pickup ranked even above providing an easy and consistent online experience or same-day delivery as the most common top digital priority for shoppers.

Moreover, research from PYMNTS’ 2021 study, The Bring-It-to-Me Economy report, created in collaboration with Carat from Fiserv, which features the findings of a census-balanced survey of over 5,200 U.S. adults, found that 42% of consumers would be encouraged to shop at physical stores more if the stores offered online ordering with curbside pickup options.

See also: Bring-It-to-Me Economy Ascends as Consumers Embrace Home-Centric Lifestyles

Andrew Robbins, CEO of Paytronix, noted in a September interview with PYMNTS that curbside pickup also has some benefits over delivery for consumers.

“When you order for delivery, you’re not sure exactly when it’s going to show up,” he explained. “If it takes just a minute to jump in the car and hop over there, and you know it will come directly to you so you can keep the kids in the car, it just makes sense.”

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Additionally, findings from PYMNTS’ April study, “The 2022 Global Digital Shopping Playbook: U.S. Edition,” created in collaboration with Cybersource, which is based on a survey of 13,114 consumers and 3,100 merchants in six countries, found that 11% of U.S. consumers had received their most recent eCommerce purchase via curbside pickup.

Read more: New Study Shows Digital Pickup And Delivery Features No Longer Optional For US Merchants

As prices rise, cost-conscious consumers are seeking the option to shift their ordering from delivery to pickup at all the businesses from which they get their food, grocery and restaurant alike. In an interview last month with PYMNTS, David Bloom, chief development and operating officer of fast-casual sandwich chain Capriotti’s and its subsidiary Wing Zone, noted that emphasizing these pickup options can be an effective way to drive sales with these concerned customers.

“[Pickup is] still the most quote-unquote ‘cost efficient’ because there’s no delivery fees and those types of things,” he said. “So, we’re making sure that people understand that, and we’re highlighting that to give people a choice.”

Additional details: For Restaurants, Consumers’ Inflation Concerns Prompt Renewed Focus on Pickup Channels