Grocery shopping at the start of 2020 differs completely from the end of 2020. Many of the things that customers used to do without any problem have become unsafe. Some of these might be what many consider their favorite parts of shopping at the supermarket.
Mask requirements, contactless payments, and even empty shelves aren’t necessarily natural or fun. However, the one thing people don’t like while shopping right now is actually pretty surprising!
Although the average time people spend at the grocery store has been on the rise for the past 20 years, now people want to spend less time indoors and want to take fewer trips, according to The Hill.
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“One thing we’re seeing across all retailers is fewer trips,” says former Whole Foods Markets CEO Walter Robb. “There is much less value in trade, etc., because people want to go in and out.”
Although people used to spend around 40 minutes inside the store per trip, many of them use time at home and away from others to shop online. Although there is no evidence that the virus spreads through food or surfaces, it is transmitted through the air. So being in a closed space for an extended period of time is still a risk.
With no carts to clear, arrows to follow, or social distancing to take into account, going through virtual lanes of online shopping is gaining more popularity at a time of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Walmart is now accepting grocery orders via email. The goal is to offer a dockside delivery service for grocery orders online. Whole Foods recently announced the opening of a permanent online grocery store in Brooklyn, New York. The only purpose of the site is to fulfill virtual requests, so no one will be able to log in and browse.
Related: Your ultimate supermarket survival guide is here!
