The end of weekly grocery trips
With the rise of the internet, it’s no surprise that we make most of our purchases online. Clothes, electronics, cleaning supplies, and pet food are all things we order regularly and get shipped to our house, but one category that hasn’t caught on as quickly is groceries. According to an NPR survey, 84% of online shoppers have bought clothing online, and 69% have bought electronics, but only 18% have bought groceries online—which is estimated to make up only about 5.5% of total grocery sales in the US.
Groceries will be delivered
As we might expect, Amazon holds a lot of power in this race. In 2017, Amazon led the pack with total grocery market sales of $2 billion, followed closely by Walmart at $1.78 billion. Amazon hopes to expand its lead through the purchase of Whole Foods and further tapping into its massive base of loyal Prime members (estimated at 80–90 million). Currently, Amazon’s most popular food products are beverages, coffee, and snack foods, in that order. By starting with nonperishable items first, the company hopes to build consumer confidence enough to get them to try buying dairy, meat, and produce.
One start-up that is already pushing the limits of grocery delivery is The Wally Shop. So far, they only deliver in Brooklyn, but their solution to many traditional problems with the grocery system is certainly one that could be replicated elsewhere. Customers pick out their groceries online, employees buy the products at farmers’ markets and bulk stores, and the groceries are delivered by bike in reusable packaging. This system is local, sustainable, and scalable. Definitely something we will be keeping our eyes on.
Groceries will come in reusable packaging
A huge downfall of grocery delivery, and grocery packaging in general, is the waste associated with it. Consumers can’t bring reusable bags for produce, or buy bulk and bring their own containers, when ordering online. Over 40% of our food in the US is packaged, and over 75% in Germany. This has already led to big problems environmentally. National Geographic isdoing a largemulti-year series on plastic waste called “Planet or Plastic” that has many articles covering the plastic problem. They hope more awareness on the issue will change the trajectory for plastic waste.
However, there is hope. Many companies are seeing the need for more sustainable food packaging. One company that is launching this spring and quickly gaining support is Loop, a circular shopping platform that swaps single-use packages for reusable ones. Loop’s products include more than just food. In addition to partnering with well-known food brands like Hellmann’s and Häagen-Dazs, they’re working with companies like Clorox and Tide. The transformation of the packaging is stunning. The stainless steel containers and reusable jars and shipping packages shown on their website really provide a look into what the future of food and home products could look like.
Many companies are already working to provide reusable packaging and deliverable products, like Public Goods and Humankind, and more will likely enter the market in the coming years. In fact, it might not be long before a weekly—or daily—trip to the grocery store is a thing of the past.
