Apple is the latest firm to join the growing buy now, pay later market, as families struggle to make ends meet. Apple Pay Later enables shoppers to split payments into four chunks, spread over six weeks. Buy now, pay later has long been popular for large purchases. Now, as the cost-of-living crisis continues, families are turning to it to put food on the table.

Shoppers delay grocery payments

Adobe Analytics found a 40% increase in online grocery transactions where shoppers delayed payment during January and February 2023. Home furnishings and apparel also saw increases. However, it was the use of buy now, pay later for groceries that grew faster than any other category.

"The increase in shoppers delaying payment for groceries shows how much families are struggling," comments Northfork Co-founder and CEO Erik Wallin. "It emphasises how important it is that retailers do all they can to support families to afford the weekly shop."

Building value into meal planning

Northfork's technology is one way that retailers can help struggling shoppers. Easy to implement using widgets, APIs or SDKs, it enables retailers to provide recipe shopping services as part of their online grocery offering. This allows shoppers to plan their meals and budget more carefully.

The meal planning functionality automatically accounts for ingredients that can be shared across different recipes, to avoid duplicating items in the shopper's basket. There is even an option to take previously purchased items into consideration, enabling shoppers to use up existing store cupboard ingredients. The result for shoppers is more affordable meals with less waste.

Retailers benefit too, in numerous ways. As the recipe shopping experience is so quick and easy, it supports increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. This can help retailers grow revenue and enjoy elevated customer engagement levels. All while supporting shoppers to afford nutritious, delicious meals.