Uber Eats research: growing number of ‘grocernauts’ pick healthy options when placing grocery orders

Britain’s home delivery app shoppers’ tastes are changing with people eating more healthily than ever, ordering strawberries, bananas, cucumber and semi skimmed milk over chocolate and crisps.  

New data from Uber Eats shows last month growing numbers of ‘grocernauts’ - tech savvy, time poor shoppers for whom ordering essentials through a delivery app is a preferred option than going to the shops - picked these healthier options compared with choices containing greater sugar and salt content that came out on top four years ago.

The data shows that in the past two years, the number of people who have placed a grocery order on its platform in the UK has nearly doubled.

Monday evening between 6-7pm is peak time for ‘grocernauts’ reaching for their phones to order groceries items online.

According to Uber Eats, this highlights that people are increasingly moving away from one weekly shop, and are relying on delivery apps to shop for fresh groceries when they need them.

Indeed, in the last two years, 74% of grocery growth has been driven by the fresh produce category. 

In addition to this new data, developments in Uber Eats’ technology has also meant that supermarkets are able to offer more choice to consumers.

Stores can upload tens of thousands of items for consumers to shop from, meaning shoppers are able to buy the same range of items that are available in-store. In the UK, the largest store has 15,000 items available to shop for.

New data also shows that nearly a third of shoppers are using Uber Eats exclusively for grocery shopping in a month. 

The findings come as Uber Eats introduces new products and features.

This includes the launch of Courier Pick and Pack, pitched as a first in Europe for a delivery platform, where consumers are connected with an Uber Eats courier who will go into the supermarket directly, pick and pack their order and deliver to their doorstep. 

Susan Anderson, Uber’s Global Head of Uber Grocery and Retail, says: ‘It’s very clear that grocery shopping trends have fundamentally changed. Our busy lifestyles mean we physically go to the supermarket for a big shop less frequently and prefer to rely more on apps like Uber Eats to order fresh grocery ingredients when we want them.”

“In the UK the trend is fascinating in the way it reflects people’s desire to eat healthily – and their increasing familiarity with using our tech to make their lives easier.”

“We’ve become a global leader in the field, and is the reason why we are launching new products like Courier Pick and Pack, which we believe will change the way that people shop for groceries.”

With Courier Pick and Pack, Uber Eats’ tech connects people with a courier who’ll engage them in real-time about their order as they walk round the store. It means people get what they want, when they want it – including the right substitutions if items are out of stock and personal preference if they change their mind ‘in-store’.