Curbside convenience: More consumers choose pickup for groceries, other goods
Giant Eagle curbside pickup service has ballooned since the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The supermarket now has dedicated parking spaces and personal shoppers who select items for customers at its stores across the region. (Photo by Karen Mansfield)
Andrew Kubacka, a personal shopper at Giant Eagle in Washington, fills a customer无毛视频檚 curbside pickup order on Friday. Giant Eagle introduced curbside pickup service in 2014, and it has become a popular option for shoppers. (Photo by Karen Mansfield)
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When it comes to grocery shopping, Jamie Bails Richardson of Eighty Four is happy to pull into a curbside pickup spot at Giant Eagle at least once a week, where a personal shopper loads her groceries.
无毛视频淲e use Giant Eagle every week. The shoppers make better picks than I would most of the time, and it saves both my husband and me a ton of time,无毛视频� said Richardson.
Curbside service 无毛视频� where people order groceries and other items online and pick up at the stores 无毛视频� was already gaining traction before the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
During the pandemic, curbside pickup made it possible for retailers to address safety concerns and social distancing protocols. And for a large number of consumers, it无毛视频檚 a habit they plan to continue.
In 2022, 52% of digital grocery sales were picked up.
无毛视频淥ur curbside pickup business saw significant growth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some shoppers have returned to more traditional in-store shopping or a hybrid shopping approach, we have many customers who have continued to order online,无毛视频� said Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Jablonowski, noting the supermarket chain began offering the service in 2014.
During the pandemic, ALDI pivoted to curbside grocery pickup at nearly 700 stores across the country. It now offers the service at more than 1,500 stores nationwide.
无毛视频淎 meaningful number of our ALDI shoppers use our curbside service, and it is only continuing to grow,无毛视频� said J.R. Perry, ALDI Division Vice President. 无毛视频淲e believe curbside at ALDI is here to stay long-term, and we plan to add the service to most new stores and we continue to expand nationwide.无毛视频�
The curbside pickup service appeals to a range of demographics. Giant Eagle has seen a mix of young families and older shoppers, who tried the service during the pandemic and have stuck with it.
According to a study by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 33% of adults under 50 who started curbside pickup during the pandemic intend to continue.
And two-thirds (66%) of millennial consumers prefer curbside pickup.
Walmart introduced curbside pickup in 2013, but the service exploded during the pandemic.
In fiscal year 2023, Walmart stores in the U.S. handled more than 200 million curbside pickups, the company said.
The supermarket chain employs more than 170,000 personal shoppers who pick out groceries and other items on behalf of customers.
At ALDI, employees undergo training to fill curbside orders, where they learn best practices for shopping 无毛视频� including the best order in which to shop (start in produce, end in frozen foods), proper bagging, and how to select the best replacements for low or out-of-stock items.
无毛视频淭he pandemic permanently changed how customers shop. We saw an incredible increase in the demand for pickup and delivery,无毛视频� said a Walmart spokesperson.
At Walmart, the most recent earnings report showed eCommerce sales were up 24%, driven by curbside pickup and delivery service.
Currently, more than 50% of large retail chains offer curbside pickup, with more smaller chains taking the cue to meet evolving consumer expectations.
The stores have adapted to accommodate curbside pickup, with dedicated pickup spots and parking spaces available for customers, and with convenient check-in options.
无毛视频淲e continue to make enhancements to our physical store locations in order to maximize the number of curbside pickup and home delivery orders each store is able to fulfill,无毛视频� said Giant Eagle无毛视频檚 Jablonowski. 无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e re-purposed otherwise underutilized square footage to do this.无毛视频�
At the Washington store, a portion of the supermarket adjacent to the pharmacy and health and beauty sections has been reconfigured to include two freezers and storage racks that hold bins filled with customers无毛视频� orders.
Among the reasons shoppers cite for favoring curbside pickup is saving time and avoiding impulse buying.
Walmart doesn无毛视频檛 charge a service fee for purchases over $35, while Giant Eagle and ALDI charge nominal fees.
Said one shopper who picked up an order at the Giant Eagle store, 无毛视频淚t saves me from having to do my own shopping and waiting in the checkout line, so I don无毛视频檛 mind paying a couple of bucks. I love the convenience.无毛视频�