By JANELL HUNTER

Staff Writer

MARTINS FERRY — Online shopping is becoming more popular every year, with more sectors of the retail industry providing digital purchasing services to consumers.

According to emarketer.com, the biggest share of online shopping industry sales go to apparel and accessories, along with computer and consumer electronics.

One of the latest trends for online retailing is food shopping, with the Kroger Co. getting in on a share of the market.

Jennifer Jarrell, director of media relations for The Kroger Co. Columbus Division said that Kroger initiatied its online shopping service at a Cincinnati-area store in 2014. It began as online grocery ordering with curbside pickup.

“Today, the service is known as ClickList, and is available at 400 locations. Additionally, a similar service, Express Lane, is offered at select Kroger-owned Harris Teeter stores,” Jarrell said.

Jarrell said that the service has received positive feedback from customers, and the Kroger Co. will continue to add online shopping locations.

“Kroger operates a total of 2,796 retail food stores, and as of Jan. 1, 2017, offers online grocery ordering at approximately 600 locations,” Jarrell said. “It is a timesaver, and is especially convenient for senior citizens, parents with young children and busy professionals.”

According to Jarrell, the ClickList online shopping service is available to anyone with a Kroger Plus Card, and customers can visit kroger.com/clicklist to create a free online account. The customer can then select a participating store and chooses a date and time for pickup. Orders placed before 3 p.m. are eligible to be picked up the same day, and pick-up hours are 7-8 p.m.

“Kroger has the ability to utilize consumer data and insights to provide a shopping experience tailored to each customer. When a customer logs into their Kroger Plus account, a list of recent purchases, products on sale and favorites appears. Favorites include items a customer purchases week after week,” Jarrell said.

Jarrell said customers can request specific brands and sizes, and allows customers to include special instructions with their orders. For example, a shopper may request green bananas or avocados, or may ask for a thick steak and thinly cut deli-meat and cheese.

There are no minimum or maximum orders, and any product may be requested through purchase on the online service, including over-the-counter medicine, tobacco, wine and beer. ClickList is free to try the first three times, and after that a charge of $4.95 per order will be applied for the service.

There are no Kroger online services in the Ohio Valley as of yet, but the company continues to expand to new locations.

“The service is always evolving to meet customers’ expectations. Many Kroger customers appreciate the convenience of ClickList. Kroger is always exploring ways to enhance the customer shopping experience, and online grocery ordering is another way Kroger can improve and simplify our customers’ lives,” Jarrell added.