In August 2019, a little over six months before the COVID-19 pandemic would upend people’s lives, grocery e-commerce sales in the U.S. totaled roughly $2 billion, according to data from Brick Meets Click and Mercatus.
Online shopping then shot up as consumers stayed home and avoided visiting grocery stores in order to limit their exposure to the virus. In-person shopping has since returned, and grocers’ online shopping platforms have continued to evolve, with many currently emphasizing convenience and time-saving benefits.
Online grocery sales are now five times higher than pre-COVID, according to data from Brick Meets Click and Mercatus, which have closely tracked grocery e-commerce sales since the pandemic started.
While sales growth was choppy in 2022 and 2023, it's been strong since the middle of last year and the annual rate has stayed positive. In February, grocery e-commerce recorded 31% year-over-year growth, the firms found.
Grocery e-commerce sales growth has continued to rise since mid-2024
The firms’ monthly data show, though, that sales fluctuate throughout the year. The last four years have seen a dip in sales during late spring and early summer.
Online grocery sales typically dip in the late spring and early summer
How consumers elect to get their online grocery orders has changed, with delivery recently dethroning pickup as the most popular fulfillment method. Delivery sales have increased by 40% since the start of 2021 — the highest growth rate among the three fulfillment categories — driven recently by an uptick in promotions.
During that same period, pickup sales have grown 5% while ship-to-home sales, which have steadily hovered between $1 billion and $2 billion for the last four years, have slipped 14%.
Delivery has recently overtaken pickup in sales
As companies pivot their e-commerce strategies to fit consumers’ evolving needs, the data from Brick Meets Click and Mercatus indicate that demand is staying strong for pickup and delivery. In January, those two fulfillment methods combined accounted for 83% of total online grocery sales, compared to almost 62% in March 2020.
Pickup and delivery are fueling total grocery e-commerce sales
