elGrocer, the grocery delivery app with ties to some of the major supermarkets and stores across the UAE, reveals that the current global pandemic has pushed consumers to shift their buying preferences from traditional stores to online purchases.

Most respondents who participated in the outreach revealed the COVID-19 concern kept them away from driving or visiting supermarkets while drawing them more to the use of grocery delivery apps.

Based on its outreach to around 700 users aimed at enhancing services, elGrocer disclosed that the addition of new stores to its platform has changed the demographics and buying patterns of its consumers. The app saw more men in the 25-44 age group using the app (registering over 150% growth compared to pre-covid period). The audience shift has also seen more users originally from South East Asia (mainly the sub-continent) at 58%, followed by Arab expatriates (17.9%) as the most significant users of the app.

While elGrocer users are still buying the same products in the same quantity as before, they seem to be more budget-conscious, driven by online promotions and special offers. The addition of a broader range of stores to choose from gives them the flexibility and accessibility to goods as retailers strengthened their supply chain to ensure better stock availability.

“In Q4, we will see how these trends continue to evolve. These changes in buying patterns are driven by the fact that consumers in the UAE are conscious about their spending across different segments. Residents across the Emirates are now more promo-driven, more price-sensitive and less brand loyal,” said Xavier Nunes, CMO at elGrocer.

Despite a surfeit of grocery apps now available on various platforms, users are still looking for options offering a wider choice of shops and products on the platform. An affordable minimum basket size reduced delivery fees and assured delivery of the order to their doorstep on time are some of their preferences.

“Customer experience for us is key, we needed to talk and find out what we did was right, but also understand what our customers expect from us so that we can continue to offer what they need from us,” said elGrocer CEO, Raed Hafez. “We also needed to understand the changes in users pre- and post-Covid,” he said.  

 “elGrocer deploys its pickers and drivers across its networks of supermarkets to ensure the product selection and guarantee our end to end service is in line with its customer service policy,” added.