Picky about produce: 86% of Australians still prefer to do their grocery shopping in store
Online shopping has become the norm for many Australians, but when it comes to groceries, the majority are a picky bunch, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,004 respondents revealed that the vast majority (86%) still primarily buy their groceries in person.
Only 14% of Australians – equivalent to almost 3 million people – largely shop for groceries online.
The main reason Australians shop in-store is their desire for quality control, with 3 in 4 (74%) wanting to pick their own produce and 2 in 5 (41%) wanting to select the best expiry dates.
While most Australians shop in-store, not all of them do so by choice, with 17% admitting their grocery store doesn't offer delivery, and another 6% saying they live too far from a store that provides online ordering.
For others, it's simply a lack of planning, with 7% admitting they aren't organised enough to shop for their groceries online.
Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, said despite the rise in online shopping, Australians still prefer the traditional approach for groceries.
"Many of us can relate to this – we'll happily buy a new phone or a pair of shoes online, but for the weekly shop, we still want to be in the aisle.
"It's about the feeling of picking up that perfectly ripe avocado, or giving the bread a good squeeze to make sure it's fresh."
The average Aussie reported spending $205 per week on groceries for their household in October, according to data from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker.
Cooke said Australians, in general, are very conscious of value, and that doesn't just mean price.
"It means getting the best possible quality for your dollar. When you shop in person, you can see if the meat is a good colour, if the lettuce is crisp, and you can pick the freshest milk based on use-by date.
"For many, entrusting a stranger to make these decisions is just a step too far."
Cooke said shoppers should take full advantage of loyalty programs like Flybuys and Everyday Rewards regardless of where they buy their groceries.
"These schemes offer benefits that go beyond simple point collection.
"You can often "boost" offers to get bonus points on specific items, receive personalised discounts, and redeem points for money off your total shop. Also consider how you use your points – often using them in the air gives you better value than in the store."
How do you primarily shop for groceries?
| Online (for delivery or pickup) | 14% |
| In-person (at a store) | 86% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,004 respondents, September 2025 |  |
Why don't you primarily shop for your groceries online?
| I want to pick my own produce | 74% |
| I want to be able to pick the right expiry | 41% |
| I primarily shop at a grocery store that doesn't offer delivery (e.g. ALDI, Harris Farm, local grocer) | 17% |
| I'm not organised enough | 7% |
| I live too far away from a store that offers online ordering | 6% |
| Other | 7% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,004 respondents, 864 who shop in-person, September 2025 | |
Sources
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,004 respondents from September 2025.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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