Online grocery shopping makes consumers more health-conscious, research finds

Buying groceries online may actually be making consumers healthier, reports the Independent.

Shopping for grocery items online is a growing trend in the US and the UK, with options such as Ocala and the recently developed Amazon online grocery store. According to research published in the Economist, grocery shopping online may be improving the health of shoppers because ordering food online requires planning days in advance - which means no more grabbing sweets at the checkout counter.

Harvard Business School research found that consumers who shop online spend less and order a higher percentage of wholesome foods like fruits and vegetables than those who shop in a store. Additionally, the further in advance of delivery a customer orders, the healthier his or her shopping cart is likely to be. Ordering food more than five days in advance of consumption significantly impacted customer's choices, as they leaned more towards healthy "should" items instead of "want" items like ice cream and crisps.

However, the researchers found that some would-be online shoppers are put off by the price of grocery delivery, which can exceed £16 in some cases, depending on the weight of the items and the distance of the delivery destination.

Online shopping is a growing trend not just with groceries but across many retail sectors, especially books, electronics and apparel. UK adults have spent an estimated £250 billion online in the last 10 years and are expected to spend an additional £56 billion by the end of 2010.