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Walmart, H-E-B come out on top in grocery pickup, delivery service

Ipsos study also gives high marks to Sam’s, Target, Kroger, Whole Foods and Aldi

Russell Redman

October 16, 2020

3 Min Read
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Walmart performed the strongest across all measured attributes for buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) service, Ipsos' research showed.Walmart

Walmart, Sam’s Club and H-E-B were named the top-performing U.S. grocery retailers for in-store pickup, curbside pickup and home delivery, respectively, in a new study by global research firm Ipsos.

Ipsos said its inaugural E-Commerce Experience Report gauges buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), curbside and delivery services of major retail brands. The two-pronged study first surveyed 2,000 U.S. consumers about their usage, attitudes and perceptions of retailer pickup and delivery offerings, and then researchers conducted thousands of mystery shopping trips (150 per brand) that evaluated the pickup and delivery services of national and regional retailers.

The mystery shoppers audited retailers’ pickup and delivery services through all phases of the process, New York-based Ipsos noted. Key performance indicators ranged from account creation, ordering and the actual pickup/delivery to ease of use, user experience and likelihood to recommend service.

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H-E-B rated No. 1 in online grocery delivery service, notching a 99% order accuracy rate.

In grocery retail, Walmart performed the strongest across all measured attributes for BOPIS service. Ipsos’ E-Commerce Experience Report said Walmart excelled, in particular, at posting visible signage that steered consumers to the grocery pickup area, which was found in 86% of the stores visited. Rival Target also performed “exceptionally well” in BOPIS, with the retailer having grocery orders ready when promised at 98% of visited locations.

Related:Retention of online growth looks strong, but a COVID-19 recession looms ahead

Walmart subsidiary Sam’s Club came in at No. 1 in curbside pickup grocery service. Ipsos said the warehouse club chain exhibited a “near perfect performance,” especially in allocating dedicated curbside parking spaces at 100% of stores audited. Supermarket giant Kroger was a close second in curbside service, performing well in categories that customers noted caring about most and having orders ready when promised at 97% of locations.

Citing its consumer survey research, Ipsos found that the chief drivers of in-store and curbside pickup were designated pickup locations, easy online account creation, contactless order pickup and orders being ready when scheduled.

“Use of BOPIS and curbside pickup has increased for 78% of shoppers since COVID-19 began, and 69% expect to continue using it at the same or higher levels after the pandemic subsides,” according to Carlos Aragon, vice president of U.S. channel performance at Ipsos.

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Kroger was a close second in curbside service, having orders ready when promised at 97% of stores visited in the study.

In grocery delivery, Ipsos ranked H-E-B first in service, noting the Texas chain’s 99% accuracy rate on delivery orders. Amazon’s Whole Foods Market also performed well on that attribute, with 95% order accuracy in the mystery shopping trips. The study, too, cited a strong delivery showing by discount grocer Aldi, namely in providing delivery notifications on 95% of orders. Aldi’s same-day delivery service is provided by Instacart.

Related:FMI: Online grocery sales jumped 300% early in pandemic

Ipsos spotlighted areas where grocery and other retailers could improve to ensure a positive, end-to-end e-commerce experience for customers, given the still “tremendous growth opportunity” in BOPIS, curbside and delivery.

All customers polled said clear communication is key to pickup and delivery, yet more than a quarter of shoppers see room for improvement in communication for these services, the study found.

In pickup specifically, retailers need to offer dedicated curbside parking sites and put up prominent signage to make it easy for customers, Ipsos said. Among the mystery shopping trips, 27% of BOPIS locations were poorly marked or difficult to find. Order accuracy is paramount for delivery, but 9% of consumers surveyed said their order wasn’t accurate.

“As we continue to see the adoption and usage of these new digital offers rise and continue to stick, it is important that brands have the mechanism to ensure they deliver a seamless and safe customer experience for these new users,” Aragon added. “The Ipsos E-Commerce Experience Report allows retailers to better understand how to cater to customers in an increasingly virtual, touchless world.”

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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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