A new wave of savvy shoppers are replacing traditional grocery isles for digital convenience

7 March 2022: New research from ING reveals the pay offs that can be made by doing the weekly grocery shop online, with the average shopper surveyed saying they’re saving $1,369 a year and getting the equivalent of an extra-long weekend in time back.

When compared to heading in-store the research reveals Aussies are buying groceries online to save time (62%), avoid crowds (58%), save money (33%) and limit impulse purchases (31%).

Amy Cunningham, Head of Digital at ING Australia says: “buying your groceries online could be one of the easiest ways to save money. The $1,369 saved by the average shopper may cover two months’ of utility bills or the costs for a year’s worth of swimming lessons for one child.”

“Plus getting an extra-long weekend of time back to spend doing the things that matter most is a real added benefit.”

Online grocery shopping isn’t the only way Aussies are saving, with one in five respondents (22%) currently signed up to a meal kit subscription. The main motivation is to save cash (76%), and on average, Aussies surveyed are saving $1,503 a year by opting for the convenient mealtime deliveries.

“The money saved through using meal kit subscriptions is approximately the same price as a one way economy ticket to Los Angeles from the east coast of Australia.”

“This research shows that Australians are not always paying for convenience, and they could actually be saving as a result of using it. Small changes to how you shop could really save you a lot of money and time,” says Amy Cunningham.

Additional key research findings: 

• Pandemic accelerates need for digi convenience: Avoiding busy shops means more than three quarters (78%) of Aussies surveyed say they order groceries online more than they did before the pandemic.
• Aussies conscious of food spending: Almost eight in ten (79%) Aussies surveyed want to save money on food, whether that be dining out (41%) or groceries (38%) in 2022.
• Lunch box savings: Almost three quarters (71%) of Australian parents and carers surveyed are looking to save money by searching for the best deals online or opting for pre-prepared lunches.

-ENDS

Notes to editors

This research survey was commissioned by ING and conducted by YouGov between 10-13 January 2022. The nationally representative sample comprises 1,044 Australians in total aged 18+ years distributed throughout Australia and weighted by age, gender and location to reflect the latest ABS population estimates.

For more information contact Megan Landauro on 0413 317 225 or megan.landauro@ing.com.au

About ING

ING changed the way Australians bank 21 years ago by launching the country’s first branchless bank. ING now offers Australians award winning home loans, transactional banking, superannuation, credit cards, personal lending, insurance and wholesale banking services.

ING is Australia’s most recommended bank according to RFi XPRT Survey, August 2021 – January 2022 (n = 31,955) when compared to customers of 20 other banks operating in Australia. It is also Australia’s fifth largest main financial institution (MFI) with 6% of market share according to RFi XPRT Survey, August 2021 – January 2022 (n= 31,955). MFI is defined as the bank that the consumer says is their main financial institution.

ING, a business name of ING Bank (Australia) Limited ABN 24 000 893 292 AFSL and Australian credit licence 229823.