46% of Irish people intend to shop online for Christmas dinner: PayPal
53% of consumers do not feel comfortable shopping in a crowd of people, while 36% don’t feel comfortable using cash or touching keypad to enter PIN, according to PayPal Grocery Trends Study
Print23 November 2021
Nearly half (46%) of people in Ireland plan to purchase at least part of their food and groceries for Christmas and holiday dinners online this year, according to a new PayPal Grocery Trends Study 2021.*
The survey of 1,000 Irish consumers found that half (53%) do not feel comfortable shopping in a crowd of people and 36% do not feel comfortable using cash or touching a keypad to enter their PIN going forward.
Shift in consumer behaviour
According to the research, there has been a marked shift in online food and grocery shopping over the past year, with more than a third (35%) shopping for groceries online for home delivery more often. Furthermore, 23% shopped for groceries online with fast delivery or same day delivery options more often.
New behaviours have also been emerging with 22% of respondents using click and collect for the first time and a quarter (25%) ordering meal kits to prepare at home for the first time.
However, it’s not just food for preparing at home that is rising in popularity, as nearly half (44%) ordered food online or via app from restaurants for home delivery more often and 40% ordered food online or via app to pick up at restaurant more often.
This increase in online ordering is also causing a spike in the dominance of digital transactions with almost two thirds (64%) using online payments, such as PayPal, more often in the last 12 months. Almost a fifth (18%) also used such methods for the first time.
Growing appetite for online
While restrictions and lockdowns are temporary, some of these changes in patterns appear to be here to stay as people reveal what habits they will continue going forward. In fact, 92% intend to continue ordering food online or via mobile apps for home delivery in the future.
Over three quarters (76%) also plan to keep shopping for groceries online for home delivery, while same day delivery is a preferred approach going forward for 80% of respondents.
People are also seeing the benefits of different payment methods too, with 95% saying they will use online payments going forward. Meanwhile, 76% desire to use QR Codes for transactions in the future.
“Online grocery shopping has become a critical convenience for people, not only during a pandemic but as part of our regular, busy lives,” said Joachim Goyvaerts, director, Benelux & Ireland at PayPal.
“The grocery industry is ripe for disruption in this new digital economy,” he added. “Part of the disruption will take place in how supermarkets and grocers choose to give their customers a seamless and safe shopping experience across all channels – online, mobile and in-store.”
Food awakening
As for the driving forces behind these changing trends, some 62% of respondents think shopping for groceries online helps to save time. Costs are also a key factor with 71% looking for the best deals offered by different providers when placing online food or grocery orders.
Supporting local businesses and good causes is also proving important to Irish consumers, with 63% preferring to shop through mobile apps or on websites that support stores in their neighbourhood and 62% tending to choose products that are sustainably sourced and environmentally friendly.
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