Online shopping fruit and vegetables

Online sales are growing rapidly

Online food spending is up nearly 14 per cent year on year, new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

The sector is now worth 5.3 per cent of total UK consumer spending, with growth driven by online food retailers and delivery chains such as Ocado

“While July wasn’t a bad month for traditional supermarkets – with overall food sales up two per cent following a wobbly few months – this was totally eclipsed by the stellar 13.9 per cent growth in online food sales,” said head of consumer research at delivery firm Fastlane International, David Jinks.

July was the month that Tesco announced the introduction of near nationwide one-hour food deliveries, Jinks continued, which he said added to the positive growth.

“Today Tesco often comes second only to Amazon in UK online sales. Small wonder the likes of Marks & Spencer are pulling up their M&S’ socks and finally planning to introduce food deliveries this autumn,” he continued.

Jinks said physical supermarket sales will slump from being worth 42 per cent to 24 per cent by 2030, according to Fastlane International research.

“The growth of convenient home food deliveries, and one-hour food deliveries from Amazon and now Tesco, means high street supermarkets could soon become as obsolete as video rental shops.”