Products like fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and baked goods, eggs and dairy, meat, poultry and seafood were purchased by fewer than one-quarter of digital food buyers.

Frozen foods, dairy or other refrigerated items were only 16% of the products purchased online (Inmar 2018 e-Commerce Study). Inside the store, shoppers feel secure that the product they are buying is what they expect it to be. They can inspect the item before they buy, and there are store clerks to help them make the best selections.

The BBC recently reported on the case of a dairy exporter from Melksham, Wiltshire. Around a third of its business is made up of exporting cheese to Canada. Under a current trade deal with the EU, the exports are tariff-free. However, Canada has chosen not to roll over a similar deal with the UK should it leave the EU, meaning that its cheese exports would attract an eye-watering 245% tariff.