Online Grocery Shopping in European Union Countries: Studying the Influence of Economic Factors

Background and Objective: Rising consumer expectations, digital advancements and the rise of e-commerce are evolutionary transforming and shaping grocery shopping in Europe. The main goal of this study is to examine the influence of economic factors on online grocery shopping by consumers in the European Union countries, focusing on the size of GDP per capita, and on this basis to draw the relevant conclusions and generalizations. Scope: The object of the study is individuals from the 27 Member States of the European Union who shop online for groceries. The collected and processed empirical data refer to the ten-year period 2014-2024. Methods: In methodological terms, the data analysis is based on the application of the linear regression and correlation method. For analytical purposes, the IBM software product is used SPSS and the program Excel. Results: The results obtained from the study present the strength of the relationship between online grocery purchases and the size of GDP per capita. The emerging similarities and differences in online grocery shopping behavior are identified. Conclusions: As an economic determinant, the GDP per capita is a significant factor influencing online purchases of European consumers. Originality: The contribution of economic factors to the development of online grocery shopping in a European context is shown. Practical implications: The formulated conclusions are useful for characterizing more significant economic factors determining the behavior of European consumers when shopping online for groceries.