Throughout the months of January and February the process of online grocery shopping was analyzed using a total of 51 participants in field study sessions, interviews and surveys. My goal (main research question) was to understand why not more people are trying or converting to the online grocery-shopping model. By analyzing consumer’s shopping behavior in brick-and-mortar retailers I hoped to single out some practices, experiences or activities the consumer would not be able to achieve if they were to translate their shopping into an online grocery-shopping platform.

1. design insights on
grocery shopping
Presenter: Yoanna Dosouto
February 2016

2. motivation
Creation of a new service to support online
grocery shopping
Supermarkets and Grocery Stores $574 billion
dollars industry in 20141
$11 billions, 1.9% of the revenue acquired
through the online channel1
1 IBISWorld’s,"Online Grocery Sales in the US: Market Research Report."

3. online grocery shoppingretail ECommerce
online grocery shopping business not growing fast enough

4. convenience
saving time
avoiding physical constraints2
2 Morganosky, Michelle A., and Brenda J. Cude. "Consumer Response To Online Grocery Shopping." International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management: 17-26. Print.

5. main research questions
● Why aren't more people buying their groceries online
● What is preventing people from buying their groceries online?

6. approach
Analyze consumers shopping behavior in brick
and mortar retailers to single out some
practices, experiences or activities the
consumer would not be able to achieve if they
were to translate their shopping into an online
grocery shopping platform.

7. defining target participants
Younger than 55 years of age
Female
Annual incomes of $70,0002
2 Morganosky, Michelle A., and Brenda J. Cude. "Consumer Response To Online Grocery Shopping." International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management: 17-26. Print.

8. Learn what is stopping those that are more
likely to buy their groceries online

9. target participants
51 participants across 3 research studies
never shopped for
groceries online
have quit buying
their groceries online

10. methodology
2 Morganosky, Michelle A., and Brenda J. Cude. "Consumer Response To Online Grocery Shopping." International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management: 17-26. Print.
field study interviews survey

11. field study description
field study

12. Findings

13. field study findings
It’s a social activity
2 Morganosky, Michelle A., and Brenda J. Cude. "Consumer Response To Online Grocery Shopping." International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management: 17-26. Print.
with children with other
adult
all shoppers

14. field study findings
It’s a social activity
Bonding activity with children based
on the transmission of knowledge.
She grabbed a couple of lemons, holded them for a
second and said to the child:
“Do we want these? ” the child said: ”You like that”
This time she placed the lemon in her own cart. I also
heard her say: “We have to make sure they look good”
Now they are at the tasting station. The attendant
explained what are they offering:
“We have some organic beans....”
S5 handed the child a sample, they both ate the sample.

15. If more parents start shopping for groceries online, wouldn’t
them and their children be missing on these bonding
opportunities? How will these parents be able to impart the
knowledge on how to shop for groceries outside of groceries
stores?

16. field study findings
It’s a social activity
Bonding activity with children based
on the transmission of knowledge.
See intensive approach towards
grocery selection.
Variation on navigation patterns

17. interview description
interviews

18. interview findings
Look of items is very important (...) “he goes all around the store to fill up the cart for the
heavy stuff and things that are easy for him like the milk
and the eggs, things I don’t have to look at.”
-Adriana
“I tell him that the avocadoes have to be the same color
and the same size, haha and it takes him a long time.”
-Ana

19. interview findings
Look of items is very important
Participants like supermarkets
because they are able to sample
and browse
“Actually... I like grocery shopping because I like
supermarkets. You can see so many things that you can
try and in Costco you have those tasting stations(...)”
-Ana
“I like to pick the ingredients and browse through the
aisles... I like to see new things that give me ideas for
things to try at home.”
-Laura

20. interview findings
Look of items is very important
Participants like supermarkets
because they are able to sample
and browse
They assume online's groceries
are more expensive, but they
have not checked
“It is the price, there is a general conception that buying
the groceries online is more expensive (...), but I have
never taken the time to actually check and see.”
-Laura

21. survey description
survey

22. survey findings
17 out of 35 respondents did not know
any names of online grocery shopping
services. Among those 8 had never
heard of online grocery shopping
services
Select all online grocery shopping services you know
or have heard about

23. survey findings
When asked why do they think they have
never purchased groceries online main
reasons were:
I’m happy buying at supermarkets
I can’t browse
I can’t sample item

24. Broadening the definition of
grocery shopping

25. Social act
Bonding practice
Transmission of knowledge
Look intensive
Discovery through
sampling and browsing
Enjoyable
“Cheaper than the
online option”

26. Design opportunities

27. An interactive system that encourages people to:
Be social, bond, and transfer knowledge to the younger generation
Supports a look intensive approach for purchasing decisions
Encourages discovery of new items through sampling and browsing

28. Ana, 32
Content Editor at Expedia
and free lance editor
Recently married, just moved
to Seattle
Has a hard time finding
time to perform chores
including grocery
shopping

29. design propositions

30. design propositions

31. Questions?

32. Checklist for field study sessions
Sample of coding using Dedoose