Consumer Trends in Convenience: What Americans Are Getting Delivered in 2020

goPuff, the world’s fastest-growing digital convenience retailer, today announced the results of its first-ever Off The Shelf Report, which analyzed data from millions of orders over the past 12 months (November 2018 to November 2019). Due to goPuff’s direct-to-consumer relationship, the company is able to not only understand and predict order patterns, but also identify changing consumer habits, preferences and shopping behaviors as the world of e-commerce continues to evolve. Highlights of the report include: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos was the country’s favorite snack in 2019, orders for personal care items increased 24% during the winter months and there was a 115% increase in boxed and canned wine orders this year. Additional findings from the report are included below; for media assets, click here.

goPuff stocks more than 2,500 products in centrally located facilities in each of the 150+ locations in which it operates to bring products directly to the customer in those moments they need them most. From snack-time favorites such as ice cream, candy and beverages to household essentials ranging from cleaning products, diapers, and even pet goods, the unique delivery concept answers the call for consumers 24/7 in many markets (and until 4:30 a.m. in others).

Daniel Folkman, VP of Business at goPuff, said, “Because we sell products direct to the consumer, we’re able to predict order patterns and identify changing consumer habits. In fact, we’ve developed a unique program that provides our CPG partners with deep consumer insights on how their products and brands are used by the changing consumer, what actions to take to maintain relevance in an increasingly crowded marketplace, and what levers to pull to create repeat purchasing habits with an audience that has been shifting away from brand loyalty.”

The Changing Consumer

Snacks

• Even as consumers eat healthier, they won’t abandon more traditional snacks: Many of goPuff’s healthier items have been trending nationwide, with increasing demand for products like Harvest Snaps Green Pea Crisps, Oatly Original Oat Milk and Good Health Veggie Stix. However, 24% of customers who ordered a health food item this year also had a traditional snack in their basket. This indicates that a dedicated subset of consumers is willing to shift their habits in some areas while not compromising on old favorite snacks.

Baby Products

• Consumers are shopping for the family on goPuff, indicating a need for immediate convenience for their essential products: When purchasing a baby product, customers were also likely to order other daily necessities, including: Horizon Organic Whole Milk, Bounty Paper Towels, Charmin Ultra Strong Toilet Paper or Minute Maid Lemonade.
• Parents are using goPuff’s delivery to skip the family trip to the store and order from home at more convenient times instead: The majority of baby product orders occur in the evenings, between 6:00 p.m. to 12 a.m. After they get home from work and the kids are in bed, parents seek the convenience of having essentials delivered to their door.

Personal Care Essentials

• Personal care has a peak season: Products from goPuff’s personal care category, like shampoo, conditioner and face masks, have historically seen a higher volume of orders during the winter months, with a 45% increase in orders December through February. Customers look for convenient self-care in the comfort of their homes during the colder winter months.

Alcohol

• Wine drinkers are opening up to all packaging formats: Although bottled wine continues to make up the majority of wine orders, goPuff reported a 115% increase in boxed and canned wine orders in 2019. This trend towards canned and boxed wines has accelerated throughout the year, with orders for these items increasing 47% between July-September. These increases were largely driven by boxed wine orders, and goPuff expects continued interest in both boxed and canned wine in 2020.
• All demographics, ages 21+, are ordering alcohol online for delivery.
  • Wine: When looking at wine consumers over the age of 45, 60% are women. That said, men who are more likely to order wine exist in the 31-34 age range.
  • Beer: Men are more likely to purchase beer on goPuff, with 65% of all orders coming from men across a variety of 21+ age segments; from women, those over the age of 45 are most likely to order beer.
  • Hard seltzer: The biggest cohort of customers ordering hard seltzer in 2019 was men between the ages of 21-30.

Customers Want Convenience When Enjoying National Events

Customers seek added convenience during experiential events and gatherings, with goPuff orders spiking during major national events (like the Super Bowl or Game of Thrones finale).

On the other hand, during family-centric holidays like Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving, customers are less likely to order convenience items for delivery, indicating they and their families are well prepared with all of the coffee, wine and essentials they need.

Looking to 2020 and the continued rise of big TV, sports and entertainment moments, goPuff anticipates customers increasingly leaning towards delivery for convenience rather than interrupting their enjoyment of these key moments.

Steadfast Behaviors

Snacks

American favorites are about flavor and experience: For the third year in a row, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos was the number one snack ordered on goPuff. However, over the past three months, demand for Gushers has skyrocketed; as a result, goPuff anticipates Gushers to overtake Flamin’ Hot Cheetos as the #1 snack in 2020.

Over-the-Counter

• Cold and flu orders follow the school year. goPuff’s cold and flu orders traditionally begin increasing at the end of August or early September and remain high through early April – that’s seven to eight months long! Whether that’s more germs from school or the changing weather, goPuff anticipates a similar pattern in the future based on historical trends.
• Cold and flu orders peaked on February 17. Based on historical data, goPuff also expects this flu season to peak around the same date.
• Despite changing consumer habits, e-commerce trends and innovation, go-to sick day products have stood the test of time; orders for OTC medicine also include:
  • Snacks: Premium Saltine Crackers and Campbell's on-the-Go Chicken and Mini Round Noodles
  • Drinks: Gatorade, Simply Orange Juice, Canada Dry Ginger Ale and Sprite
  • Essentials: Puffs Plus Lotion Tissues, Charmin Toilet Paper, Kleenex and Bounty Paper Towels

Home Essentials

• Spring cleaning is not just a chore, but a buying behavior: Historically, orders for cleaning products peak in April and May, when compared to the two months before and after, indicating a notable purchasing behavior.

Most Popular Order Days by Product

Coffee

• Most popular order days: December 9 (finals week across many campuses), Memorial Day Weekend
• Least popular order days: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve

Advil/Tylenol

• Most popular order days: February 23 (around peak cold and flu season), and Memorial Day Weekend
• Least popular order days: November 19 (Monday before Thanksgiving), May 22 (the Weds before Memorial Day)

Wine

• Most popular order days: New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day
• Least popular order days: Christmas Eve and February 4

Beer

• Most popular order days: Halloween, New Year’s Eve and Super Bowl Sunday
• Least popular order days for beer: January 2 (the day after New Year’s Day) and May 28 (the day after Memorial Day)

Regional Trends

Regional Snacking Trends

• Northeast - A Penchant for Ice Cream. Customers in the Northeast ordered more ice cream (specifically Ben & Jerry’s Milk & Cookies and Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked).
• Southeast - Salty Snacks. Customers in the Southeastern region of the U.S. showed a tendency towards saltier items. Among the top indexing items in this region were Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Slim Jims.
• Midwest - A Love of Spice. Customers in this area ordered more Takis Fuego than any other region.
• Southwest - Our Country’s Sweet Tooth. goPuff’s Southwestern customers have the biggest sweet tooth of any region: they order more Gusher Super Sour Berry, Wonka Nerds Rope and Dr. Pepper than anyone else.
• Pacific - Our Thirstiest Region. Customers on the west coast ordered a lot of Gatorade, specifically Frost Glacier Freeze. This was also the only region to over-index on an alcohol item: White Claw spiked seltzer.

In some cities, certain products are trending:

• Boston - Hard Cider. Orders for cider in Boston increased 61% year over year.
• Dallas - Jerky is trending in Dallas and has had consistent, positive month-over-month growth.
• Chicago - Pizza products have been trending in Chicago for the past 6 months, when comparing pizza to other frozen foods.
• Phoenix - Soft drinks have been trending since goPuff opened in the Phoenix market and have retained a significant share of the overall drinks category.

goPuff City Superlatives

• Cleanest cities: Bethlehem PA, Champaign-Urbana IL, and Bloomington IN ordered the most cleaning products this year.
• Saltiest cities: Kansas City KS, South Bend IN and Dallas TX ordered the most salty snacks this year.
• Sweetest cities: Albuquerque NM, Washington D.C., and Lafayette IN ordered the most sweets this year.
• Homiest cities: Champaign-Urbana IL, Syracuse NY and Washington D.C. ordered the most home products this year.

About goPuff

goPuff is a digital convenience retailer replacing the need for convenience stores. Through centrally located facilities, the company delivers thousands of products quickly for a flat $1.95 delivery charge. As the fastest-growing, most affordable delivery service on the market, goPuff operates from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. and 24/7 in some areas to bring you what you need, when you need it. goPuff also offers beer, wine and liquor in select locations. Headquartered in Philadelphia, goPuff currently operates in over 150 U.S. locations, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and many more. To learn more, visit gopuff.com.

For more information, please visit www.gopuff.com or check us out on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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