Searches for grocery items on mobile devices up 22% in second quarter of 2014
Figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Google show that grocery search volumes across mobile devices grew by 22% in the second quarter of 2014 compared to a year earlier.
However, search volumes on smartphones outpaced search volumes on tablets, with growth of 94% compared to growth on tablets of 28%.
The BRC said the data had revealed that shoppers are increasingly turning to their tablet computers and smartphones for culinary guidance with recipes dominating the top ten search terms.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said the trend presented a great opportunity for retailers, adding: “Many grocers are integrating their online shopping offer with recipe websites and apps. This means that when customers find a recipe they like, they are a mere one click away from having all the ingredients placed in their online shopping basket.”
Never Miss a Retail Update!Shoppers were also found to be using the internet as a resource for special dietary requirements with search volumes surging by 122% in the category.
Dickinson said: “Customers are researching their purchase on-the-go, potentially even as they walk the supermarket aisles, to find products that meet their very specific needs.”
The warm weather led to an increase in barbecue and beer related queries while the World Cup brought a rise in Latin American cuisine searches of 35% year-on-year. There was also significant growth in searches for diet, organic and weight-loss foods.
Peter Fitzgerald, retail director at Google, said: “Grocery shoppers have embraced mobile technology, with nearly double the number of searches coming from mobile devices compared to last year. Greater London has seen the sharpest rise in searches, reflecting the developments grocers have made in the region, for example the increase in delivery options becoming available to Londoners. Further growth should be expected as these options are expanded across the UK.”
