Effect of COVID-19 on consumer spending on grocery delivery as of March 2020

As of March 2020, 17 percent of consumers in the United States expected that they would increase spending on grocery delivery services because of the coronavirus pandemic. 61 percent of consumers did not expect their spending behavior on such services to change.

Changing purchasing patterns due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Consumers in the United States reported little behavior change in terms of planned trips to the grocery store, though the selection of items purchased once there has undoubtedly been influenced by the pandemic. Sales of non-perishable foods surged in the United States in March due to consumer's fear over coronavirus. Packaged goods saw the highest percentage of sales growth out of all edible grocery items.

Consumer response to COVID-19

The majority of American consumers planned on avoiding shops and malls due to the COVID-19 outbreak. About 28 percent of Americans are stockpiling groceries, including panic-buying toilet paper and hand sanitizer in large quantities. As such, paper products have seen a 59 percent increase in sales growth. The vast majority of Americans think that any food and supply shortages in local grocery stores due to coronavirus (COVID-19) will be caused by people stockpiling foods and other products.

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