The Impact of Grocery Delivery Services

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online-enabled food access services like Instacart and DoorDash emerged as vital alternatives for households facing unprecedented obstacles to grocery shopping. 

We use survey data from the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study to examine the relationship between the use of online grocery and meal delivery services and factors such as transportation insecurity, household income, and technology preferences.

This project is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the U-M Population Studies Center, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship ProgramUniversity of Michigan Population Studies Center NICHD TraineeshipNICHD Population Studies Center Traineeship

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay 

About the Study

We fielded a survey in the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study, which is designed to represent the demographics of the City of Detroit, Michigan. Participants were asked a series of questions about their usage of online grocery delivery services, along with questions about their preferences for technologies, household income, and access to transportation. 

Quantitative Approach: We use a statistical inference method known as logistic regression analysis to understand which demographic factors are associated with a higher likelihood of using online grocery delivery services. 

Qualitative Approach: In addition, we use qualitative methods to study text responses from survey participants who were willing to share the benefits and drawbacks of using online grocery delivery. We analyze a total of 1,142 text responses, organizing them into broader themes that highlight the pros and cons of online grocery delivery. 

Meet the Research team

Love Lundy

Love Lundy studied Political Science and Food Studies at Spelman College.  Lundy completed the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA JSI) Fellowship at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at U-M in the summer of 2024.  She is a TEAm member at Just Add Honey Tea Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Lundy is interested in all things food, agriculture, and land policy. She is a Rackham Merit Fellow and MPP candidate at the Ford School of Public Policy.