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Omnichannel shopping for consumer goods jumps 50% in 2020

Number of frequent or exclusive online shoppers more than doubles, Nielsen finds

Russell Redman

December 23, 2020

3 Min Read
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Trips to the store are becoming “trips to the front door,” as services like online grocery pickup see rising consumer usage, Nielsen noted.Food Lion

This year, U.S. omnichannel consumption swelled by 50%, and nearly half of all consumer goods purchases were made via e-commerce, according to new research from Nielsen.

Both food and nonfood products have seen marked shifts in omnichannel shopping since the COVID-19 outbreak in the first quarter of 2020, Chicago-based Nielsen said this week in releasing its latest Omnichannel Shopping Fundamentals survey. For example, the number of shoppers who deem themselves as “heavy” or “exclusive” online shoppers for everyday items jumped 133% from September 2019 to September 2020.

Similarly, trips to the store are becoming “trips to the front door,” Nielsen noted. The study revealed that U.S. consumers’ preference for in-store pickup of items ordered online grew by 26% during the 52 weeks ended in September 2020.

Nielsen Omnichannel Fundamentals Survey Dec2020 chart.png

Nielsen’s Omnichannel Fundamentals Survey captures purchasing trends of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) both before and since the coronavirus pandemic. The market researcher said the study was fielded in September 2019 (pre-pandemic), April 2020 (during the lockdown phase) and September 2020 (in the “new normal” consumer landscape). Almost 25,000 surveys were fielded per wave in Nielsen’s nationally representative Homescan panel, and insights on more than 150,000 “category transactions” per wave were collected for the survey.

Related:Online grocery sales continue growth, hitting $8 billion again in November

“Within the U.S., new behaviors have emerged that retailers and manufacturers must acknowledge, accommodate and swiftly act on — especially as online shopping habits begin to solidify,” Nikhil Sharma, vice president of North America consumer analytics at Nielsen, said in a statement. “While we do expect a return of some kind to pre-pandemic habits, consumers will not be returning to a pre-pandemic retail environment.”

Looking at consumer engagement across channels, Nielsen found in its latest omnichannel research that 56% of online shoppers “put careful consideration” into each purchase at the point of sale, compared with 51% of brick-and-mortar shoppers. 

That trend also goes for online grocery transactions. “Online shoppers became more invested than their brick-and-mortar counterparts in searching for the best product to fit new needs and, as a result, increased planning efforts for online grocery purchases into the ‘new normal,’” Nielsen reported. “When examining planning levels for in-store food purchases, rates of purchase planning dipped below pre-COVID levels by September 2020. And as brick-and-mortar shoppers eased up on planning efforts, impulse purchasing for food and nonfood products increased slightly across offline channels.”

Related:Online grocery shopping still a mainstay for COVID-concerned consumers

The September 2020 findings also show that “omnicentric categories are budding,” according to Nielsen. These product segments center on nonfood items, led by pet supplies (85% purchased online), vitamins (79% purchased online) and facial skin care (78% purchased online). 

“Nonfood categories like pet supplies, vitamins and facial skin care are performing exceedingly well across the omnichannel landscape,” Nielsen stated.


On the demographic side of the equation, the number of Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian-Americans who used both online and offline fulfillment methods escalated during the pandemic. Through the end of September, omnichannel adoption rose 54% among Hispanic shoppers, compared with 43% for African-Americans and 31% for Asian-Americans.


And when making online transactions, 29% of consumers polled by Nielsen found the order history tool to be the most helpful feature when shopping for nonfood items.  


“Undeniably, consumers have more choices than ever in their path to purchase,” Sharma added, “meaning as consumer needs and preferences continue to evolve, it is crucial to have an omnichannel strategy in place to sustain and grow momentum in 2021.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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