For some, doing groceries is an exciting part of the day, whereas it is more of a hassle than anything else for others. Moreover, with the increasing ability to order items online, including food and other essentials, going to grocery stores might even appear to be an outdated concept. Particularly, if you have been doing your shopping online during the past pandemic to limit exposure, grocery stores might seem unnecessary – but are they?
Reader's Roadmap
Access to food and other items
The main purpose of grocery stores is to provide a varied number of items, all gathered in one place, which makes the logistics of getting the basics a lot easier. While the shape and size of stores varies depending on where you are, the concept essentially remains the same – to provide you with a space where you can access whatever you need, which makes sense because it is convenient.
Online shopping
When thinking of online shopping, grocery shopping does not necessarily come to mind but rather items such as clothing. Shopping online is popular thanks to the internet, as ordering things with one click is incredibly convenient since you can select and order items easily from the comfort of your home. With options of online e-commerce expanding, so are the number of people engaging in online shopping. However, grocery shopping has always had a little bit of a different position. Since you are more regularly going to do grocery shopping, there is a routine of visiting that physical space. In many cases, it is an established habit as well, which means that changing it would require a more habitual transformation. Therefore, the question arises of whether online shopping is convenient enough to go through these changes.
Convenience
Considering there are already fridges with the ability to order food for you, replacing grocery stores with online grocery shopping seems pretty convenient, especially if you have a device to do the work for you. This enhances both your ability to plan your shopping ahead and keep your spending within budget since you will not have to deal with last-minute temptations or impulse purchases. Moreover, if you buy items in bulk, online shopping can also save you a lot of hassle. Particularly heavy items, such as bottles, can be a drag if you have to rely on public transport or maneuver up a set of stairs. How can online grocery shopping help? Well, while your items would still have to be brought to your flat, you do not have to think about it. Moreover, online sellers allow you to get deliveries outside of the operational hours of regular supermarkets. For example, if you want to get late-night drinks delivered to your home, you can use companies like drinkshouse247.co.uk, an online alcohol delivery service. Moreover, you can decide on the right drink option from your sofa without having to worry about your favorite drink being sold out.
What about personal preference?
While convenience contributes greatly to increases in online shopping, both for groceries and other items, there nonetheless seems to be something about going outside to pick up some fresh items from the store. Maybe you did not have it planned, but the fresh fruits appealed to your senses, and you simply indulged in the spontaneous purchase. Even though it is likely that more purchases will be transformed and completed online, there is a chance that the physical space for groceries will remain for now. Whether it is the interaction with other people or the possibility to buy single items, some perks of physical grocery shopping do remain.