In Germany, every third person buys food online

The biggest advantages cited by respondents are the time independence for shopping, the relief in terms of carrying the purchases, and the time saved. This is the result of a representative survey by Kantar TNS (n=1050) commissioned by the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW).

Germans are largely open to buying groceries online: One in three (33 percent) have already bought groceries online and would do so again - almost as many (32 percent) have not yet done so, but can imagine trying it out one day. Only 25 percent have never ordered groceries online and would not try it out. "It's not unusual for us Germans to be rather reserved when it comes to new things - it's nice to see that things can be different," says BVDW Vice President Achim Himmelreich. "At the same time, grocery shopping is not infrequently a kind of ritual and follows a fixed routine. Apparently, the advantages of buying online weigh heavily if we are so open to this alternative despite fixed habits."

According to the BVDW survey, these advantages are primarily due to the ability to order at any time (60 percent) and the fact that they do not have to carry their purchases home (55 percent). Women (60 percent) rate the convenience of delivery significantly higher than men (50 percent). Other advantages cited by respondents include saving time (50 percent), not having to go to the supermarket (47 percent) and being able to order from anywhere (44 percent). Almost two-thirds of Germans (63 percent) cite the fact that they cannot view and check the food on site as a disadvantage. Almost one in two respondents (46 percent) are bothered by having to adjust to the time of delivery, while 43 percent criticize excessively high shipping costs and the higher price compared with shopping in a supermarket (37 percent). Only one in six (17 percent) is bothered by limited consultation options.