Voice-Based Shopping on the Rise in the Grocery Industry

A trip to your local grocery store can quickly turn into a lengthy ordeal. And in the past year, grocery shopping became an even greater hassle with health risks, limited store capacity, long line-ups, and product shortages. You know: pandemic problems. Additionally, as one of the higher risk activities for COVID-19, alternative grocery shopping methods became highly sought.

The stats don’t lie: nearly 80% of US consumers have been shopping for groceries online since the outbreak of COVID-19. And no one is expecting 100% of these consumers to return to their old in-store habits. This represents a monumental shift in consumer behavior, a risky proposition for those in the retail grocery industry that fail to adapt to these changes.

Alexa, Reorder my Coffee.

In 2020, approximately 50% of US households owned at least one smart speaker device, a number expected to rise by 21% in 2021.

In direct correlation to the adoption of smart speakers, voice commerce and consumer transactions are also on an upward trend. Voice shopping represents a $40 billion industry by 2022, which is a massive opportunity that businesses cannot afford to ignore if they want to remain relevant within the coming years.

Online shopping and voice-based commerce are becoming an expectation by many consumers, who are actively and increasingly seeking to fulfill their purchases through technology.

Companies need to adapt to the evolution of consumer demand, which is happening at record rates through the adoption of alternative shopping methods.

In 2020, grocery shopping accounted for 20% of voice-based orders.

Benefits of Voice-Based Grocery Shopping

There are evident and plentiful benefits voice-based grocery shopping provides to consumers:

1. Contactless Convenience
   Everything can be done from the comfort of home, eliminating COVID-19 exposure. If voice-based shopping isn’t one of the most hygienic and safe methods for grocery shopping, then we don’t know what is.
   
   
2. Instant Replenishment
   There are many everyday products consumers repeatedly buy at the grocery store. Voice-based shopping makes it significantly easier for consumers to replenish items when running low or out instantly.
   
   
3. Better Access for Seniors and Disabled Shoppers
   For senior citizens and disabled shoppers, grocery shopping can be a challenging task. Voice-based shopping provides autonomy and convenience. For those who might have trouble carrying large amounts of groceries, home delivery makes grocery shopping an easily accomplished independent task.
   
   
4. Flexibility in Scheduling Delivery and Curbside Pickup
   Using a voice assistant, consumers can choose how they wish to receive their order. Quick home delivery or a curbside pickup are options available to schedule through voice-based shopping, with the voice assistant then notifying you when your order is ready.

Voice-Based Grocery Shopping is Here to Stay

As voice assistants and home smart devices gain widespread adoption, voice-based grocery shopping will be one of the leading industries in voice commerce.

The online grocery industry is projected to more than double by 2025. Despite the pandemic winding down, online grocery shopping will grow from $35 billion to more than $250 billion in the next few years.

Voice-assisted shopping will play a significant role in this growth and is an opportunity for local stores and direct-to-consumer companies to adapt and remain competitive and relevant to their customers proactively.

To learn about how Blutag helped Modcup Coffee launch their commerce-based Alexa skill in a matter of weeks, download our newest case study!

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