Experience the convenience of grocery delivery services and explore the implications of this growing trend on American guilt and credit card usage. Find out how millions of Americans are having their groceries delivered and how this is shaping the way we shop for food. Uncover the surprising impact on our conscience and credit card habits with this eye-opening survey. Don’t miss this thought-provoking article on the rise of grocery delivery services.
Discover how grocery delivery services are changing the way Americans shop for food and why many feel guilty about this convenient trend. This survey reveals that 20 million Americans have had groceries delivered, shedding light on the impact it has on both our conscience and credit card usage.
As U.S. cities continue to shelter in place due to the novel coronavirus, the health of food delivery workers weighs on the conscience of many Americans.
According to a new survey from Bankrate, nearly one-third of U.S. adults who had groceries delivered feel badly asking others to risk their health to prepare and/or deliver food.
The survey also shows credit card usage at places like grocery stores and restaurants is up 70 percent compared to December 2019 Bankrate data.
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How U.S. adults feel about food delivery
Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults report that having food delivered stimulates the economy and keeps people employed, whereas 26 percent say they feel bad asking other people to potentially put their health at risk to prepare and/or deliver food. Twenty-five percent answered dont know.
Of those who had food delivered, 62 percent say it stimulates the economy, 27 percent feel bad potentially risking others health and 11 percent dont know, compared to 59 percent, 32 percent and 9 percent of adults who had groceries delivered.
Pain points with food delivery
When specifically highlighting U.S. adults who had groceries delivered, 83 percent experienced at least one problem, with the most common issues being:
- Items were out of stock (54 percent)
- Inability to schedule a delivery time (34 percent)
- High service fees (23 percent)
- Late delivery (21 percent)
Polite stereotypes aside, Midwesterners, in particular, are the most likely to complain about items being out of stock. Sixty-eight percent of Midwesterners did so compared to 52 percent of other regions.
Where and how Americans are purchasing food
Surprisingly, a large percentage of U.S. adults (72 percent) have bought groceries in person compared to 42 percent who used various forms of delivery. When looking at food delivery, in particular:
- 49 percent picked up takeout
- 28 percent had prepared food delivered
- 13 percent had groceries delivered from a local store
- 13 percent had them delivered from national services (such as Amazon Fresh or Instacart)
- 7 percent had a meal-kit service delivered (such as Blue Apron)
Further, older generations reported going to the grocery store more often than their younger counterparts. Seventy-seven percent of Gen X, 84 percent of baby boomers and 68 percent of the silent generation have bought groceries in person in April 2020 compared to 52 percent of Gen Z and 62 percent of millennials.
Credit card usage is increasing
When it comes to paying for food, the use of credit cards has gone up significantly.
As of April 2020, 46 percent of in-person grocery shoppers paid with a credit card, 39 percent with a debit card and 15 percent with cash. Compared to data from a December 2019 Bankrate.com study were 50 percent of grocery shoppers paid with a debit card, 27 percent with a credit card and 22 percent with cash, grocery store credit card usage is up a whopping 70 percent.
That suggests to me that a lot of people dont have the available funds to pay right now, so theyre financing these purchases with credit, says Ted Rossman, industry analyst at Bankrate. That also fits with our recent CreditCards.com survey which found 28 million Americans have added to their credit card debt over the past two months.
Paving it forward: Heres how you can give back
For some, leaving home isnt an option (or would be a serious health risk), making the job of delivery workers key for those in need essential items such as food.
If youre looking for ways to give back to food delivery workers, tipping — whether through the food delivery app itself or with cash — is a great option. In fact, the survey shows among those who had food delivered, 62 percent tipped more than usual (including 21 percent who tipped much more).
Charitable uses for your credit card
You may have noticed an increase in your own credit card use over cash as more and more transactions occur online. Whether youre currently building up rewards or have a stockpile to work with, consider donating them as a rewards redemption option.
While this method wont magically gift a worker your credit card rewards, youll still be providing help to an organization that needs it. Not every issuer offers donating rewards as a redemption option, but of those that do, a few are offering donation campaigns focused on coronavirus relief. American Express, for example, is matching up to $1,000,000 in cardholder point donations to Feeding America.
If donating rewards isnt an option for you, consider redeeming your points, miles or cash back for gift cards and passing them out at your discretion. You may not get the most bang for your buck rewards valuation-wise, but youll still be putting your earnings toward the greater good.
Understanding your limits
While giving back monetarily is ideal, its important you organize your finances and calculate how much you can comfortably afford to part with before donating, says Rudy Villa, financial planner and founder of IMPACT Money Management.
The most important financial goal for someone to complete before donating money is to create a monthly budget, Rudy says. … I wouldnt want thoughtful and humble consumers giving money at the expense of not being able to provide groceries for their family or receiving a fee due to a late rent payment.
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