From orders to opinions: what consumer reviews reveal about their online grocery shopping experience during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden shift in consumer habits resulting from mobility restrictions and fear of contracting the virus. Consequently, the online grocery shopping (OGS) industry experienced a surge in sales, which parallels the growth that non-grocery e-commerce sales experienced after the pandemic outbreak. Interestingly, as the pandemic progressed, U.S. OGS sales decreased significantly while non-grocery e-commerce sales continued growing at a very substantial pace. This study tries to shed light on potential reasons for this trend difference by analyzing consumer experiences reflected in OGS online reviews, covering three time periods: pre-pandemic (1 January 2019 through 21 December 2019), pre-vaccine pandemic (1 January 2020 through 13 December 2020), and post-vaccine pandemic (14 December 2020 through 30 November 2021). The findings indicate that consumers’ purchase experiences were likely inadequate to sustain those sales levels once the risk of contracting COVID-19 attenuated. The increase in negative sentiment over time further supports this observation, primarily originating from dissatisfaction with the products delivered. Our insights contribute to the growing literature on OGS consumer experience and trust, highlighting the importance of contextual factors, both internal and external, and dynamic consideration in analyzing OGS consumer-generated content. Based on this time of unprecedented consumer exposure to OGS, this research identifies those elements most important to consumers, providing valuable insight for OGS retailers to enhance consumer experiences and sustain growth.