Sales Up 60.37% During the 3 Week of March
This week independent grocers reported same-stores sales were up 60.37 percent during the third week of March (compared to last year’s numbers). What is more, amid the stay at home and social distancing advice, consumers keep coming to the stores for supplies. The foot traffic also increased by 18.47 percent compared to last year.
In normal circumstances, any independent grocer would love to see an upswing in demand, but flustered consumers have emptied the most aisles, disrupt the inventory management, and rely more than before on online shopping.
“Up till now, consumers have been slow to embrace online grocery shopping. But that was before coronavirus. This is going to give many previously reluctant shoppers a taste of the convenience and ease of ordering groceries online” stated Forbes’ Senior Contributor, Pamela N. Danzinger.
The question will be–– once shoppers try online grocery shopping, are they bound to adopt it? If so, should grocers be preparing for a shift to online grocery sales after everything gets back to normal?