The FMI conducts various research and studies “to advance into a safer, healthier, and more efficient consumer food supply chain.” They have conducted several research reports and discovered that different trends that occurred throughout the years. In line with this, when the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we know it, the organization conducted research to determine the shift in consumer behavior.
The Findings
In their research, it was concluded that during the pandemic, there were more people relying on online shopping for their groceries. The amount of people that resorted to online stores have more than doubled compared to the pre-pandemic era.
In addition, 17% of the people who shopped online were new to the technology. Unfortunately, due to the rise of consumers in the e-commerce industry, there have been cases where in the supplies have greatly diminished. On a positive note, online shopping has been a great way of practicing social distancing to avoid the further spread of the COVID-19 virus.
What Consumers are Buying
The items bought by consumers are somewhat the essentials needed for the current pandemic everyone is facing. Based on the study conducted, consumers mostly bought cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, fresh produce, fresh meat, and milk. These are all essential items for personal consumption and for disinfection.
Adjusting to the New Normal
Considering that there are more consumers opting to purchase from an online grocery shop, suppliers are starting to adjust with the flow of consumers. These suppliers are starting to efficiently accommodate the number of consumers of e-commerce and more shops have chosen to have an option for online shopping. It is expected that people would rely on the Internet for their essential needs.
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