Beyond the Cart: A Year of Essential Insights

Written By Warehouse Automation

On the evening of March 19, 2020, the first stay-at-home order in North America was issued in California, setting off a transformation of many of our 100-year-old grocery shopping habits. One of the most notable shifts proved to be America’s en masse move from in-store shopping to online grocery. Almost overnight, millions signed up for online grocery delivery to get food on the table safely during a difficult time. According to a new Instacart survey of 2,038 U.S. adults conducted recently online by The Harris Poll, nearly half of all Americans (48%) say that they ordered groceries online during the pandemic.

In a relatively short period of time, the national mood, our relationships, internal clocks, domestic roles, shopping schedules and shopping lists shifted dramatically. In this report, we examine those dynamics and what they may mean for post-pandemic life through the lens of the most universally relatable household task: grocery shopping.

How we felt: Measuring the national mood with grocery chat & emojis

In early spring 2020, consumers grappled with the unknown as the frightening reality of the pandemic set in. Instacart/Harris Poll survey data reveals that a surge of sadness, uncertainty, and anxiety washed over consumers as they planned their grocery shopping. Some survey respondents cited anxiety and fear of COVID-19 as a key motivator for shopping online:

“For the first months of the pandemic, myself and members of my family were afraid of physically going into stores so we utilized the delivery of groceries.”
— Male, age 24, California
“I have really bad anxiety attacks while shopping for groceries …on top of that I have to take my kids with me.”
— Female, age 25, Georgia
Warehouse Automation
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