Amazon was Americans' favorite way to buy groceries in 2020

close

Video

Americans paying more at the grocery store

Consumer prices rising nearly half a percent in August.

Amazon, the powerful tech company and retailer, beat traditional supermarkets and it was Americans’ favorite way to purchase groceries in 2020, according to an annual report from a customer data science company.

The coronavirus pandemic upended daily life in March and has sent most closer to home ever since, giving Amazon’s straightforward digital platforms leverage to trump the in-store shopping experience.

The coronavirus pandemic upended daily life in March and has sent most closer to home ever since, giving Amazon’s straightforward digital platforms leverage to trump the in-store shopping experience. (iStock)

Released Monday, Dunnhumby's 2021 Retailer Preference Index polled 10,000 households in the U.S. and reviewed the 56 largest retailers in the U.S. grocery market (worth roughly $1 trillion) to determine which tend to be the most financially successful and have the "strongest emotional bond" with customers.

GOOGLE MAPS REVEALS BEST TIMES FOR GROCERY SHOPPING, RESTAURANTS TO AVOID CROWDS

Analyzing price, quality, digital, convenience and speed, among other factors, researchers added a new COVID-19 momentum metric to the breakdown, a statistical model predicting short-term financial gains (or losses) last year.

Notably, a streamlined shopping experience seems to be more important than ever. According to the 10,000 households polled, speed is "synonymous" with "safer to shop" amid the pandemic today.

Ultimately, Amazon, which runs AmazonFresh and owns Whole Foods, beat out H-E-B, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Aldi, Market Basket, Sam's Club, Costco, Publix, Target, Fresh Thyme Market, Shop Rite, Sprouts Farmers Market and Walmart for the top spot, the report found.

Notably, a streamlined shopping experience seems to be more important than ever. According to the 10,000 households polled, speed is "synonymous" with "safer to shop" amid the pandemic today. (iStock)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"COVID has led to record highs and lows in economic metrics, along with huge shifts in where and how consumers shop food retail, changing the competitive trajectories of retailers who were winning and those who were struggling before the pandemic,’ Grant Steadman, President of North America for Dunnhumby, said in a news release.

"As a result, we viewed 2020 through a different lens than we’ve viewed the grocery industry in previous years. Amazon accelerated past every other retailer on our COVID Momentum Metric and customer safety ratings, due to its speed to shop and virtual store format."

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS' CONTINUING CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

"As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we should expect value perception to come back strongly," Steadman speculated. "Beyond COVID, retailers with Customer First strategies will best adapt to changing behaviors and deliver what matters most to their customers."