On Shop Online for Groceries Day, observed annually on the second Friday in August, we must add grocery shopping to our list of online to-dos. This year, the day will be observed on August 12. Weird as it may seem, this holiday has been around for a while, and online grocery shopping has been around for even longer. In the 1960s, I.B.M. paved the way for online shopping as we know it today, before the invention of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Soon after online banking entered the scene, major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba were established and everything was being sold online including our everyday essentials such as groceries.
It is not news that you can find almost anything online these days, and that includes your groceries. The invention of the Internet and online banking has made life easy for us in many ways, and one of the major advantages can be found in restocking our groceries effortlessly.
The first purchase ever made online may be what you least expect. It was the sale of a copy of Sting’s album “Ten Summoner’s Tales” in 1994. However, this is not to say online shopping efforts were not made before that. Before then, I.B.M. had created online transaction processing (O.L.T.P.) to process financial transactions in real-time, and Stanford and M.I.T. students tried using the ARPANET to make marijuana exchange deals. The album sale was, however, the first successful attempt at online shopping in which money was transferred online. This was made possible due to the invention of the World Wide Web and online banking. 1994 seemed to be the gateway year into the world of online shopping because, in that year, the first-ever online food order was made from Pizza Hut’s online shop, and the first secure retail transaction was made by either NetMarket or the Internet Shopping Network.
A year later, Amazon and eBay were launched, followed closely by the first online grocery store — Webvan. Unfortunately, due to unexpectedly high operating costs, the company filed for bankruptcy a little over three years later, making Ocado the first successful online grocery store. Online shopping has now become a billion-dollar industry with pioneers such as Amazon and Alibaba leading the way. Shop Online for Groceries Day was created to give us all a reason to sit back, relax, order online, and wait for our groceries to conveniently be delivered to us.
The first-ever online food order is made via Pizza Hut’s digital ordering hub.
Webvan is established as the first online grocery store.
The first successful online grocery store, Ocado, is established.
Shop Online for Groceries Day is created and observed annually on the second Friday in August.
Although the first time this holiday came to light was in 2014, the originators of Shop Online for Groceries Day remain a mystery.
Many explanations point to the reason behind Webvan’s failure as a company. Weak business and expansion models, unforeseen warehouse and infrastructural costs, and inadequate demand are some of the reasons why they went bankrupt in 2001.
Just like online retail shopping, online grocery shopping is often available to people in nearly all parts of the world. To be sure of specific region restrictions or stores available in your region, you can do further research for more information.
This point should be a no-brainer, because how else can you celebrate Shop Online for Groceries Day without shopping online for groceries! Do some research to find out which platform works for you, and get clicking!
Many people still don’t believe in shopping online for groceries, so make it a priority to change some minds on this day. You can start by encouraging your circle of friends and family to do all their grocery shopping online today. Another good way to encourage online grocery shopping is by posting your purchased products, using the hashtag #ShopOnlineForGroceriesDay. You can even tag the platform or shop from which you made the purchase.
Today provides the perfect opportunity to choose an online shopping buddy, or personal online grocery shop by selecting the one that best resonates with you. You can also check out the online stores you shop with frequently to see if they have sections dedicated to groceries that you can try out.
Statistics show that up to 67% of online consumers buy at least some of their groceries from Walmart.
Up to 40% of online shoppers spend more than brick-and-mortar shoppers.
About 21% of beverage buyers buy online because of discount codes.
Up to 66% of consumers have indicated low delivery costs as a top priority.
By the end of 2022, it is estimated that 70% of U.S. shoppers will be buying groceries online.
Shopping online is a stress-free and seamless experience. Shop Online for Groceries Day is a holiday that encourages us to relax and shop our groceries online.
The Internet was invented to make everyday hassles a bit easier, and online shopping is one of the greatest results of this. This day encourages people to put their fears and hesitations aside and enjoy the perks of shopping for groceries online.
Grocery shopping is not a task everyone looks forward to and is often considered a chore rather than a shopping experience. This holiday lets us tick this chore off our to-do list in the easiest way possible.
Every day is a holiday!
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