Understanding the influence of online grocery shopping on consumers' choice of products and dietary balance: a qualitative study in France

Objective: To explore the impact of online food shopping in France on the selection of products purchased and its potential impact on shoppers' dietary balance. Design: A qualitative study involving in-depth semi-structured individual interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed through a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Setting: France. Participants: Thirty-four male and female respondents aged between 21 and 61 years old, residing in various regions of France, including urban, suburban and rural areas, with diverse profiles in terms of gender, age, location and number of children under 18. Results: Five key themes were identified as influencing decision-making with regard to the products purchased, namely 'less choice, especially for fresh produce', 'sense of security in buying the same products', 'convenience of online shopping through time-saving and product recommendation lists', 'avoiding unplanned purchases' and 'less fresh produce purchased, sometimes replaced by more processed items'. In turn, all of these factors potentially have an impact on the diet of online shoppers. Conclusions: With grocery e-commerce penetration expected to double in the next 5 years, the study underscores the consequences of online shopping on consumers' dietary balance. The findings have practical implications for online food retailers, inciting them to develop solutions that would encourage e-grocery shoppers to buy more fresh produce and sample a more varied diet. Additionally, they highlight the importance of monitoring the influence of technology on the consumer buying process, particularly with regard to food.