High value, upmarket shoppers lead the way in online grocery shopping

In Northern Ireland, just 6% of adults order groceries online, compared to 13% in Britain. However, the trend towards online grocery shopping in recent years has been upwards and the current discrepancy between NI and GB means scope for stores to expand into the online sphere is all the greater in Northern Ireland.

Add to this the fact that NI adults are more likely to spend greater amounts than their British counterparts on their grocery shopping. 57% of them spend over £70 a week on their grocery shopping, compared to 50% of adults in GB, whilst 30% spend over £100 a week, compared to 26% in Britain.

Indeed, it is these high spending shoppers who are particularly driving internet grocery shopping in NI, being over three quarters more likely than the average adult to shop online. The value of this group is reinforced by the fact that they are also almost a quarter more likely than the average adult to be in the top AB social grades and over 50% more likely to have a family income of £40,000+.