Shoppers underwhelmed by Morrison’s online offering claims retail specialist

A NEW online shopping offering by supermarket retailer Morrison’s has left Midlands shoppers distinctly underwhelmed, a new study has concluded.

Latest research by shopping behaviour analyst SBXL has revealed that Morrison’s customers are less likely to abandon traditional bricks and mortar in favour of shopping online than customers of any other supermarket.

The research, carried out in January, also shows that Morrison’s may have blundered in choosing the Midlands to begin the roll out of its online service. SBXL said research had shown Midlands shoppers were the most reluctant to move online in the whole of the UK.

The research is part of SBXL’s Continuous Shopper Insight programme, which surveys a cross section of shoppers on a monthly basis. Information from 1,000 shoppers a month is analysed to give an ongoing picture of shopping habits and shoppers’ attitudes, in particular their attitudes towards supermarket shopping.

The research shows that only a fifth of Morrison’s customers would consider taking advantage of the store’s online service, compared to around 40% of shoppers at Asda and Tesco.

SBXL’s senior insight manager Serena Tippler said this could mean that Morrison’s had missed the boat by launching its online shopping offering so much later than its competitors.

“Despite the online launch targeting Midlands shoppers, no difference was seen in shoppers’ intentions regarding going online in January. There has been a slight increase – about 4% – in people who said they might consider online shopping at some stage in the future, but considering it is a long way from an actual change in behaviour,” she said.

“Our research also shows that Morrison’s would have had more chance of success if they had launched in the south of the country rather than the Midlands. Nearly half of all shoppers in the south say that they would consider online shopping – much higher than the Midlands and north.”

By launching in the Midlands, Morrison’s had focussed on the region least likely to do shopping online, which suggested it could have benefited from higher quality research ahead of launch, she added.

The research also showed that nearly half of Tesco and Asda shoppers across the country expect to do some of their grocery shopping online in the next year. By contrast, only 27% of Morrison’s customers were planning to shop online.

“We survey a wide range of shoppers geographically and across the income scale. The message we are getting is that all major retailers, but Morrison’s in particular, are going to have to work a lot harder if they want people to change their habits,” said Ms Tippler.

SBXL, with offices in Lichfield and Tamworth, is a leading retail research firm, combining state-of-the-art technology with a detailed knowledge of human psychology. As well as regular shopper tracking, the company provides retailers and brands with in-depth insights, using techniques such as in-store filming to capture behaviour.

The company works with leading retailers and brands across Europe, North America and the Far East.