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Walmart beats Amazon as first choice for online food shoppers in US

RIDGECREST, UNITED STATES – APRIL 13, 2014: Walmart store in Ridgecrest, California. Walmart is a retail corporation with 8,970 locations and revenue of US$ 469 billion (FY 2013).

Walmart storeThe world’s largest retailer Walmart is the number one choice for online food shoppers in the U.S. according to the latest research by Retail Food Group.

The 2018 U.S. Online Grocery Shopper Study revealed that the retailer saw off competition from number e-commerce rival, Amazon. The majority of shoppers choose to do their online food shopping at Walmart with Amazon taking second place and local supermarkets ranking third.

However, Amazon rated the highest for overall satisfaction when ordering food and grocery items online. The e-commerce giant was rated 4.70 out of five, while Walmart rated 4.54. Other supermarkets and food stores rated 4.36.

Shoppers gave high ratings for convenience, efficient use of their time, as well as being enjoyable to shop with.

Doug Madenberg, RFG Principal, noted the impact that Instacart has had on the market.

“Clearly Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart are taking advantage of both their experience in the space, and the capital they continually invest, in improving the online grocery ordering and fulfilment experience. Supermarkets and food stores operating eCommerce on their own, or through a third-party platform, should take note of Instacart’s scores and ensure their service provides an experience at the same or higher level,” Madenberg said.

“It’s no surprise that online grocery shoppers find their experience more efficient and convenient. But the fact that online shoppers find the experience both more enjoyable and more pleasantly surprising than an in-store visit should be a wake-up call for all brick-and-mortar retailers.”

The survey also found that online food shoppers are more willing to purchase perishable items like produce, meat and seafood in-store to get the best quality. These concerns have held back online food shopping in the U.S., which trails behind Britain and South Korea.

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