Jo Ronan had never done a grocery shop online before Covid-19. Now, she and her husband Mike doubt they will venture back into a supermarket until at least next year.

“I haven’t been in a supermarket since March,” says Mrs Ronan, a retired teacher who lives in Essex in southern England and has asthma. “I do like going round shops. But until there is a vaccine, I cannot really see myself going back to a store. It’s too risky.”

Instead, the couple buy occasional items from a local corner shop and order bulky items online, from one of the UK’s big four supermarket groups. They are among millions around the world who have tried online grocery shopping for the first time during the coronavirus outbreak — and found that they like it.