Gitnux/Report 2026

Online Grocery Industry Statistics

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Online Grocery Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 39 days

01 Industry overview

The online grocery industry at a glance

The global online grocery market reached $655.51 billion in 2025 and is forecast to more than double by 2030 as delivery, mobile ordering and rapid fulfillment expand.

$655.51B[82]
Global market size, 2025
21.3%[82]
Forecast CAGR, 2025–2030
56.3%[2]
U.S. consumers buying online, 2026
63%[1]
U.S. orders delivered, 2025
Market size
The global online grocery market reached $655.51 billion in 2025. North America was identified as the fastest-growing region, while Asia-Pacific was the largest regional market.[82]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is projected to reach $1.7213 trillion by 2030, implying a 21.3% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030. IGD separately identifies online grocery as the fastest-growing grocery channel globally, with a 7.6% CAGR through 2030 across its covered markets.[82][83]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific was the largest regional market in 2025, while North America was the fastest-growing region. In the United States, Walmart held a 25.9% share of online grocery purchase intent in the second quarter of 2026, ahead of Instacart at 12.2%.[82][44]
Segmentation
The market is segmented by product, including fresh produce, staple and cooking essentials, ready-to-eat food, snacks and beverages, bakery and confectionery, dairy products, and breakfast and cereal. Other major segmentation dimensions are platform type, including mobile applications and websites, and delivery type, including instant and scheduled delivery.[82]
Key players & concentration
Competition is concentrated among large omnichannel retailers and digital platforms. In the United States, Walmart led online grocery purchase intent with 25.9% in the second quarter of 2026, followed by Instacart at 12.2%; Amazon ranked below Instacart in that measure.[44]
Pricing
Pricing remains a major conversion issue: Ipsos found that perceptions of higher online prices, service fees, or prices above in-store levels drive cart abandonment. Nearly half of curbside pickup users, 46%, used the service at least weekly in the 2025 study, while 71% said they were likely to use it again.[84]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Convenience and fulfillment speed are central growth drivers. In McKinsey's 2026 North American survey, 70% of online grocery shoppers preferred delivery, with 67% citing time savings, 52% scheduling flexibility, and 45% the ease of placing larger orders; the main challenges include delivery costs, substitutions and product availability.[1]
Consumer behavior & competition
U.S. online grocery adoption rose to 56.3% of consumers in 2026 from 53.6% in 2025. Delivery represented 63% of online grocery orders in 2025, while collected orders accounted for 35%, showing that home delivery had regained a clear lead over pickup.[2][1]
M&A
The sector entered a new consolidation phase in October 2026 when DoorDash offered $17 billion to acquire Instacart. The proposed transaction would combine two major U.S. delivery platforms and could affect grocers that rely on third-party technology and fulfillment networks.[60]
Latest news
The most significant recent development was DoorDash's October 29, 2026 offer to buy Instacart for $17 billion. Separately, Amazon announced on November 4, 2026 that Uber Eats would be added as a restaurant-delivery benefit for U.S. Prime members, intensifying competition among large delivery ecosystems.[60]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Online Grocery Industry

The leading companies in the online grocery industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Amazon leads Gitnux's 2026 online grocery ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with grocery business exceeding $150 billion in gross sales in 2025. Walmart is the runner-up at 9.1, driven by $79.3 billion in fiscal 2025 eCommerce sales, primarily store-fulfilled pickup and delivery.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in online grocery retailers

    Amazon

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Online grocery retailers

    Why we picked it: It sells and delivers groceries at scale globally, with 2025 gross sales reported above $150 billion.

    See in ranking ↓Visit amazon.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    Walmart

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Online grocery retailers

    Why we picked it: Its U.S. omnichannel grocery model emphasizes store-fulfilled pickup and delivery, reaching $79.3B eCommerce sales.

    See in ranking ↓Visit walmart.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Ocado Retail

    GB

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Online grocery retailers

    Why we picked it: Its pure-play UK online supermarket operating model targets consumer ordering at a base of 1M+ active customers.

    See in ranking ↓Visit ocado.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the online grocery industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Amazon

Online grocery retailers · US

9.6
2

Walmart

Online grocery retailers · US

9.1
3

Ocado Retail

Online grocery retailers · GB

8.8
4

Mercadona

Online grocery retailers · ES

8.6
5

Ahold Delhaize

Online grocery retailers · NL

8.2
6

Sainsbury's

Omnichannel grocery retail, United Kingdom · GB

8.0
7

Kroger

Omnichannel grocery retail, United States · US

8.0
8

Woolworths Group

Omnichannel grocery retail, Australia and New Zealand · AU

8.0
9

Carrefour

Omnichannel grocery retail, Europe and Latin America · FR

7.8
10

JD.com

Online grocery and general merchandise retail, China · CN

7.8

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Top 10 companies in the online grocery industry. In Online Grocery Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-grocery-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

U.S. online grocery sales by fulfillment method

Pickup holds the largest share at 47%.

Pickup47%
Delivery37%
Ship-to-home16%
source-verifiedbrickmeetsclick.com

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Recommended or preassembled baskets drove over 20% of online grocery orders at major grocers in 2025. AI use also appears before shopping, with 93% of U.S. AI users reporting pre-shopping use in 2024.

AI in the online grocery industry

  • More than 20% of online grocery orders at major grocers came from recommended or preassembled baskets in 2025.[1]
  • 58% of U.S. grocery shoppers using AI in 2024 used it to compare prices.[2]
  • $135.8 billion was the estimated value AI could unlock across grocery operations by 2030.[3]
  • 93% of U.S. grocery shoppers who used AI in 2024 used it before shopping.[2]
  • 42% of U.S. grocery shoppers using AI in 2024 used it to plan meals.[2]
  • 10% of U.S. grocery shoppers in 2024 were uncertain whether they used AI for grocery shopping.[2]

Automation in the online grocery industry

  • 77 stores were analyzed in a study of software-enabled online grocery fulfillment across two conventional grocery chains.[4]
  • 670 million additional U.S. online grocery orders could meet minimum purchase values through better fulfillment.[5]
  • $120 was the average online grocery transaction value in the software-enabled fulfillment study.[4]
  • 450 million U.S. online grocery customer-service contacts and potential refunds could be reduced through more accurate delivery timing.[5]
  • 40% of U.S. online grocery orders with a minimum-order threshold arrived below that threshold after substitutions and cancellations in 2023.[5]
  • 27% of U.S. online grocery orders with one- to two-hour delivery windows arrived outside the customer’s preferred time in 2023.[5]

Digital Transformation in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU small and medium-sized enterprises, 71% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU businesses, 74% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2024.[6]
  • Among EU large businesses, 96% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[6]
  • Across retail and consumer-goods companies, 70% of business functions had generative AI adopted or piloted in 2025.[7]

Technology Adoption in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across US and European retailers, 66% had moved beyond exploration and testing of store-intelligence technologies in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 27% had fully scaled cameras and sensors in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 21% had fully scaled edge computing technologies in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 23% had fully scaled wireless communication technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 16% had fully scaled artificial intelligence in 2025.[8]

Cloud Computing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.69% used cloud-based office software in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.53% used cloud-based file storage in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 45.52% hosted enterprise databases in the cloud in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises, 52.74% used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 85.15% used cloud-based email in 2025.[6]

Big Data in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail companies, 23% were using artificial intelligence in production to resolve customer identities or prepare customer data for marketing or analytics in 2025.[9]
  • Across EU enterprises, 26.20% performed data analytics on transaction records such as sales and payment records in 2025.[6]
  • Across retail companies, 64% said their customer data was structured and accessible enough to support artificial-intelligence use cases in 2025.[9]
  • Across EU enterprises, 33.02% performed data analytics using their own employees in 2025.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data maturity and analytics teams correlate with revenue outcomes: 72.7% of grocery retailers with a companywide analytics team reported revenue growth in 2023. At the same time, 66% rated identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.

Business intelligence in the online grocery industry

  • 42% of U.S. grocery merchants had dedicated analytics teams able to analyze companywide data in 2024.[10]
  • 93% of U.S. households could be reached by Walmart store-fulfilled same-day delivery in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • 86.1% of highly data-reliant U.S. grocery retailers reported revenue growth in 2023, compared with 63.2% of low-data-reliance retailers.[10]
  • More than 2,200 retailer banners were represented in Instacart’s consumer purchase and path-to-cart data in 2025.[12]
  • 72.7% of U.S. grocery retailers with a companywide analytics team reported revenue growth in 2023, compared with 68.4% without one, according to a 2024 survey.[10]
  • 20% was Walmart U.S. eCommerce growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.[11]

Data analytics in the online grocery industry

  • 77% of digital shoppers using third-party grocery platforms rated Instacart their platform of choice in 2024.[13]
  • 22.2% was the year-over-year increase in global online grocery order value in 2024.[14]
  • 55% was the increase in U.S. online grocery sales during 2020, according to the Food and Drug Administration data cited by Deloitte.[5]
  • 40.5% of U.S. online grocery shoppers cited time constraints as their main reason for shopping online in 2022.[15]
  • 2.1% of items were substituted in digital grocery orders during the first quarter of 2024.[16]
  • 6% of U.S. online grocery shoppers cited price as their main reason for buying groceries online in 2022.[15]

Data Quality in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and e-commerce, 48% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods only somewhat effective in 2024.[17]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents rated their identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.[17]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents identified data-quality controls as a significant challenge in 2024.[17]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 62% of respondents rated their data-management practices only somewhat effective in 2024.[17]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 29% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods not very effective in 2024.[17]

Data Governance in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 66% of respondents said their data-management capabilities were only somewhat unified in 2025.[18]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 96% of respondents said breaking down data silos was a significant challenge in 2025.[18]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 35% of respondents cited inconsistent or incorrect answers to data questions as a governance-related blocker in 2025.[19]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 57% of respondents identified data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.[17]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 53.5% of respondents said regulatory compliance was not a significant data challenge in 2025.[18]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 31% of respondents cited the lack of a corporate data strategy and semantic layer as a key challenge in 2025.[19]

KPIs in the online grocery industry

  • 14.2% of digital grocery sales were completed through third-party platforms in 2024.[13]
  • 13.7% of U.S. grocery sales were made through digital portals in the first quarter of 2024.[2]
  • $169.70 was the average digital grocery basket size in 2024.[13]
  • 63% of U.S. online grocery orders were delivered rather than collected in 2025.[1]
  • 94% of U.S. grocery shoppers purchased both online and in-store during 2025.[20]
  • $177.20 was the average digital grocery basket size in the first quarter of 2024.[2]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Order economics depend on shopper missions and repeat behavior, with delivery regaining lead: 63% of U.S. online grocery orders were delivered in 2025. Average annual spend per global user reached $450 in 2024.

Growth in the online grocery industry

  • $450 was the average annual online grocery spend per global user in 2024, up 7.1% year over year.[14]
  • US$206.8 billion was U.S. grocery e-commerce retail sales in 2023.[21]
  • 1.73 billion people ordered groceries through online platforms globally in 2024, an increase of 12.1% year over year.[14]
  • 26.4% was the average annual retail-sales growth rate for grocery e-commerce in the United States from 2019 to 2023.[21]
  • 11.6% was the projected annual growth rate for U.S. online grocery sales through 2028.[20]
  • $169.70 was the average U.S. digital grocery basket in 2024, up 0.8% from 2023.[13]

Differentiation in the online grocery industry

  • 19% of U.S. online grocery shoppers cited good customer support as a reason for shopping online in 2025.[22]
  • 21% of U.S. online grocery shoppers said buyer reviews were an important app feature in 2025.[22]
  • 35% of U.S. online grocery shoppers cited easy payment methods as a reason for shopping online in 2025.[22]
  • 23% of U.S. online grocery shoppers said more in-depth product information was an important app feature in 2025.[22]
  • 42% of U.S. online grocery shoppers said product-availability notifications were an important app feature in 2025.[22]
  • 26% of U.S. online grocery shoppers said product-comparison functionality was an important app feature in 2025.[22]

Mergers and acquisitions in the online grocery industry

  • More than 250 household and grocery items were added to Misfits Market’s assortment through its 2025 acquisition of The Rounds.[23]
  • 40 stores and 1 distribution center were included in Grocery Outlet’s planned acquisition of United Grocery Outlet in the southeastern United States.[24]
  • 1 online grocery company, FreshDirect, was acquired by Getir in 2023.[25]
  • 100% of Instashop was acquired by talabat in 2025, making Instashop a wholly owned subsidiary in the MENA region.[26]
  • More than a dozen North American and international retailers were among Wynshop’s customers when Instacart acquired the company in 2025.[12]
  • $2.5 billion was talabat’s pro forma 2024 grocery and retail GMV after acquiring Instashop.[26]

Strategic partnerships in the online grocery industry

  • More than 4 million customers in food deserts were served by Gopuff in 2023 before its Misfits Market grocery partnership.[27]
  • Nearly 4,600 Walmart stores with pharmacies supported the retailer’s integrated online delivery strategy in 2024.[11]
  • 6 U.S. states initially offered Walmart’s integrated pharmacy and general-merchandise delivery service in October 2024.[11]
  • 5 Ahold Delhaize USA grocery brands—Food Lion, Hannaford, Giant Food, The GIANT Company and Stop & Shop—added DoorDash marketplace delivery in 2024.[28]
  • 300-plus fresh grocery items were included in the Gopuff–Misfits Market partnership launched nationwide in 2024.[27]
  • 20% larger baskets were recorded when Gopuff tested its fresh-grocery offering before partnering with Misfits Market.[27]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce scale and internal hiring matter for execution: Walmart reported 86.4% of roles above entry level filled internally in fiscal 2026. Digital fulfillment also relies on third-party delivery labor: Instacart-supported grocery jobs totaled 237,000 in 2025.

Hiring in the online grocery industry

  • 1.5 million-plus full- and part-time employees worked for Amazon globally in 2024, including personnel supporting grocery, logistics and delivery operations.[29]
  • 86.4% of Walmart U.S. roles above entry level were filled internally in fiscal 2026, reducing reliance on external hiring for experienced positions.[11]
  • 700,000-plus Amazon employees globally had participated in free education and skills-training programs since 2019, supporting internal talent development and mobility.[30]
  • 2.1 million associates worked for Walmart worldwide in fiscal 2025, including approximately 1.6 million in the United States and 0.5 million internationally.[11]
  • 237,000 grocery jobs were supported by Instacart’s economic activity in 2025 across the United States and Canada.[12]

Employee retention in the online grocery industry

  • 53% of frontline grocery workers who planned to leave cited a lack of appreciation from management or peers as a reason in the 2021 Axonify survey.[25]
  • 52% of frontline grocery workers who planned to leave cited poor compensation as a reason in the 2021 Axonify survey.[25]
  • Nearly two-thirds of food retailers reported improving benefits for full-time employees in 2024 research.[20]
  • 320,000 Walmart associates had at least 10 years of tenure in fiscal 2026.[11]
  • More than two-thirds of Walmart associates responding to the annual engagement survey said they felt they belonged in both 2024 and 2025.[11]

Remote Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.02% of full paid working days in 2025.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.03% of full paid working days in 2023.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 15.14% of full paid working days in 2022.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 13.46% of full paid working days in 2024.[31]

Hybrid Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.K. employers, 74% had hybrid working in place in 2025.[32]
  • Across U.K. employers, 65% required hybrid employees to attend the workplace a minimum number of days in 2025.[32]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 55% of employees worked from the office five days per week in 2025.[33]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 42% used mandated office days as their hybrid-work model in 2025.[33]
  • Across U.K. employers, 23% used informal manager-employee arrangements for hybrid work in 2025.[32]

Upskilling in the online grocery industry

  • 164,000 Walmart associates had enrolled in Live Better U since its 2018 launch, including 41,000 in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • 439,000 U.S. Amazon employees had participated in upskilling programs since the company announced its Upskilling Pledge in 2019, reported in 2024.[34]
  • 100,000-plus Amazon employees participated in Career Choice, the company’s free education and skills-training program, by 2024.[29]
  • 29,000 Walmart associates had completed Live Better U diplomas, credentials or degrees since the program launched in 2018.[11]
  • $1 billion was Walmart’s five-year investment in career-driven training and education completed in fiscal 2026.[11]

Employee Engagement in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% were promoters of their organizations in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[35]
  • Across retail employees in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset, 70% were engaged in 2025 reporting.[35]
  • Across retail employees, 71% agreed their company contributed to their learning and development in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[35]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 35% rated their personal well-being above average in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[35]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% reported one or more symptoms of burnout in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[35]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer motivations center on scheduling flexibility and time savings, with 67% citing time savings for delivery in 2025. Loyalty participation remains high, with 82% of U.S. grocery shoppers belonging to at least one loyalty program in 2026.

Customer experience in the online grocery industry

  • 19% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited good loyalty programs as a reason for shopping online in 2025.[22]
  • 52% of North American online grocery shoppers cited scheduling flexibility as a reason for preferring delivery in 2025.[1]
  • 35% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited easy payment methods as a reason for shopping online in 2025.[22]
  • 80% of European and North American online shoppers rated delivery tracking positively in 2024.[36]
  • 67% of North American online grocery shoppers cited time savings as a reason for preferring delivery in 2025.[1]

Customer retention in the online grocery industry

  • 49% of active grocery-loyalty members considered membership when deciding where to shop in 2026.[37]
  • 20% of U.S. adults said their households typically grocery shop at Target in 2026, including online shopping.[38]
  • 67% of UK grocery transactions were top-up shops in 2025, indicating frequent purchasing missions.[39]
  • 3.2 grocers was the average number used by UK consumers in June 2025.[39]
  • 41% of UK grocery consumers switched their primary grocer in June 2025.[39]

Customer acquisition in the online grocery industry

  • 45% of U.S. consumers expected grocery loyalty programs to be accessible through mobile apps in 2025.[40]
  • 71% of U.S. consumers had shopped for groceries online by July 2025.[40]
  • 18% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited preferred brands being available online as a reason to shop online in 2025.[22]
  • 30% of U.S. consumers completed up to one-quarter of their grocery shopping online in July 2025.[40]
  • 50% of U.S. consumers purchased groceries online at least monthly in July 2025.[40]

Customer loyalty in the online grocery industry

  • 59% of U.S. grocery-loyalty members used their program regularly in 2026.[41]
  • 28% of Canadian shoppers uninterested in grocery loyalty programs cited credit-card signup requirements as a barrier in 2026.[42]
  • 49% or more of active grocery-loyalty members considered membership when choosing where to shop in 2026.[37]
  • 82% of U.S. grocery shoppers belonged to at least one loyalty program in 2026.[41]
  • 69% of Canadian grocery shoppers valued points redeemable for groceries as a loyalty-program feature in 2026.[42]

Lead generation in the online grocery industry

  • 21% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited high-quality products as a reason for shopping online in 2025, indicating a major acquisition proposition.[22]
  • 19% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited good loyalty programs as a reason for shopping online, indicating a membership-led acquisition opportunity.[22]
  • 18% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited preferred brands being available online as a reason for shopping online, indicating an assortment-led acquisition opportunity.[22]
  • 46% of U.S. grocery shoppers cited fast delivery as a reason for shopping online in 2025, indicating a major acquisition proposition.[22]
  • 71% of U.S. consumers had tried online grocery shopping by July 2025, representing the addressable acquired-customer pool.[40]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Personalization and AI-assisted commerce features show measurable demand: 65% of U.S. online grocery shoppers want personalized experiences in 2025. Loyalty also spans behavior, with 79% using loyalty or rewards programs in 2025.

Marketing in the online grocery industry

  • 79% of U.S. online grocery shoppers use loyalty or rewards programs in 2025.[43]
  • 27% of U.S. consumers use national delivery apps for grocery shopping in 2025.[43]
  • 65% of U.S. online grocery shoppers want personalized experiences based on their needs or history in 2025.[43]
  • 52% of U.S. consumers prefer buying groceries through a grocer’s own website or app in 2025.[43]
  • 31.3% of grocery shoppers say personalized digital coupons or offers could influence a store visit in 2025.[44]

Digital marketing in the online grocery industry

  • 47.7% of consumers expect their comfort with AI-powered grocery tools to increase over the next five years in 2025.[44]
  • 1.75% was the click-through rate for Instacart recipe ads in 2025.[12]
  • 76.5% of grocery customers expect a tailored digital shopping experience in 2024.[45]
  • 32.6% of grocery shoppers are likely to let AI reorder staples when supplies run low in 2025.[44]
  • 74.7% of grocery shoppers find shoppable advertising features at least somewhat inspiring in 2025.[44]

Branding in the online grocery industry

  • More than half of shoppers based store-choice decisions on store brands in 2023 and 2024.[46]
  • 71% of grocery shoppers enjoy discovering new brands while shopping, according to a 2025 grocery retail-media study.[47]
  • 66% of grocery shoppers lean toward familiar products in 2025.[47]
  • 4.3 times more annual spending came from loyalty members redeeming personalized offers than from nonredeemers in 2024.[1]
  • 67% of surveyed U.S. consumers ranked grocery among the most trusted private-label categories in 2025.[48]

Social media in the online grocery industry

  • 38.6% of grocery-brand purchase-intent clicks came from social platforms in 2024.[49]
  • 1.8% was Instagram’s purchase-intent rate for grocery brands in 2024.[49]
  • 0.3% was Snapchat’s purchase-intent rate for grocery brands in 2024.[49]
  • 0.8% was TikTok’s purchase-intent rate for grocery brands in 2024.[49]
  • 23% of online grocery shoppers purchased directly through social media in 2023.[42]

Influencer Marketing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 78% of surveyed brands reported growing creator-marketing budgets in 2025, up from 36% reporting budget growth in 2024.[50]
  • 91% of brands investing in creator marketing ran an always-on component in 2026, including 62% with hybrid programs and 29% with fully continuous programs.[50]
  • 80% of brands investing in creator marketing increased creator budgets in 2026, while 25% raised creator spending by more than 10%.[50]
  • 58% of brands integrated retail media networks and creator marketing platforms by amplifying creator-generated content on retail media channels in 2025.[50]
  • 49% of brands investing in creator marketing reported sales as an impact of creator activity in 2026, compared with 60% citing brand sentiment and 58% citing awareness.[50]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Fulfillment mix stays tilted toward stores, with 57% of U.S. online grocery orders fulfilled from stores in 2025. Substitution and threshold failures continue to shape customer outcomes, with 40% finishing below minimum thresholds in 2023.

Process optimization in the online grocery industry

  • Warehouse-in-store operations typically handle 80–100 units per hour and 1,000–1,300 orders per week, 2022, North America.[1]
  • 50% of grocers expect the share of store-based online order fulfillment to increase over the next two to three years, 2025, United States.[1]
  • Manual in-store picking typically operates at 60–80 units per hour and 800–1,000 orders per week, 2022, North America.[1]
  • 57% of U.S. online grocery orders are fulfilled from stores, while 26% use third-party fulfillment and 17% use centralized or dark-store facilities, 2025, United States.[1]
  • 54% of grocers expect centralized or dark-store fulfillment to increase over the next two to three years, 2025, United States.[1]

Operational efficiency in the online grocery industry

  • Walmart U.S. operated 30 dedicated e-commerce fulfillment centers in fiscal 2024, United States.[11]
  • Existing fulfillment capacity could cover $13–17 billion of selected U.S. online grocery demand in 2025, United States.[1]
  • 63% of U.S. online grocery orders were delivered rather than collected in 2025, United States.[1]
  • Walmart U.S. shipped or delivered e-commerce merchandise through more than 4,300 stores in fiscal 2024, United States.[11]
  • Instacart processed 294.0 million orders in 2024, up 9% year over year, United States.[51]

Quality management in the online grocery industry

  • 75% of grocery deliveries in a controlled online delivery test arrived on time, 2022, Washington, D.C., United States.[52]
  • 81% was the average produce-quality score in a controlled online grocery delivery test, 2022, Washington, D.C., United States.[52]
  • 90% was FreshDirect’s produce-quality score in a controlled online grocery delivery test, 2022, Washington, D.C., United States.[52]
  • 20% of surveyed U.K. online grocery shoppers received a substitution in their most recent order in 2026, United Kingdom.[53]
  • 28% of Sainsbury’s online grocery shoppers reported substitutions in their most recent order in 2026, United Kingdom.[53]

Supply chain in the online grocery industry

  • 37% of food, grocery and restaurant supply-chain leaders cited inaccurate demand forecasting or overordering as a factor increasing waste in 2025, United States.[54]
  • 37% of food, grocery and restaurant supply-chain leaders cited manual waste-tracking processes as a factor increasing waste in 2025, United States.[54]
  • Kroger operated 14 dairies, nine deli or bakery plants, five grocery-product plants, two beverage plants, one meat plant and two cheese plants in 2024, United States.[55]
  • Walmart U.S. operated 162 distribution facilities in fiscal 2024, supporting store and e-commerce merchandise flows, United States.[11]
  • Food waste averaged $79 million in value among surveyed food, grocery and restaurant supply-chain professionals in 2025, United States.[54]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. apparel imports, China’s share fell from 30% in 2019 to 21% in 2023, while other Asian suppliers’ share rose from 30% to 35%.[1]
  • 74% of retailers surveyed sourced internationally, including 71% of small companies and 84% of larger companies, in 2024.[56]
  • 57% of retail organizations with $50 million–$100 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[57]
  • 76% of retail organizations with $150 million–$200 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[57]
  • 72% of retail organizations with $100 million–$150 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[57]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing volatility shows up in observed behavior, including 20.4 price changes per year for Amazon Fresh listings in one online-grocery study. Delivery profitability remains pressured, with logistics and delivery costs cited by 73% of grocers as a leading barrier in 2024 Q1.

Pricing strategy in the online grocery industry

  • 20.4 price changes per year were recorded on average for products listed by Amazon Fresh in an online-grocery pricing study.[58]
  • 10% was the average markup reported for grocery items on delivery platforms before platform fees in the United States in 2026.[59]
  • 23% was the largest observed price difference for identical grocery items shown to different Instacart shoppers in the United States in 2025.[60]
  • 59.5% was the increase in dynamic-pricing intensity from the first quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2024 among U.S. online retailers, including grocery.[61]
  • 0.042 was the average coefficient of variation in daily online grocery prices in the first quarter of 2022 in a U.S. retailer panel.[61]

Cost reduction in the online grocery industry

  • 670 million additional orders could reach the minimum purchase value required for profitability if online-grocery fulfillment improved, according to Deloitte’s 2023 estimate.[5]
  • 2 times faster time to insight was associated with AI-enabled support in North American grocery retail in 2026.[1]
  • 250 tons of food waste were reduced annually after one grocery retailer introduced electronic shelf labels, according to a 2025 study report.[60]
  • $17 billion was Deloitte’s estimated annual U.S. online-grocery sales opportunity from reducing cancellations and lower-price substitutions in 2023.[5]
  • 40% lower costs were associated with AI-enabled customer support in North American grocery retail in 2026, according to McKinsey’s estimated capability impact.[1]

Profitability in the online grocery industry

  • 73% of grocers cited logistics and delivery costs as a leading barrier to digital-grocery profitability in the first quarter of 2024.[16]
  • $4 was the approximate net profit on a traditional $100 in-store grocery basket in North America in 2022.[1]
  • $5.5 was the average loss per curbside online grocery order in 2024 in the U.S. digital-grocery performance study.[13]
  • 6.2% was the average EBITDA margin of nine European grocery retailers in 2024, down from 6.9% in 2019.[62]
  • $13 was the approximate net P&L loss on a $100 manually picked and delivered online grocery basket in North America in 2022.[1]

Financial planning in the online grocery industry

  • $123 billion to $142 billion was McKinsey’s estimated 2030 U.S. online grocery demand range.[1]
  • 18% was Kroger Delivery’s growth in 2024, excluding the 53rd week in 2023.[51]
  • $159 billion was the estimated U.S. online grocery sales market in 2023 in Deloitte’s omnichannel study.[5]
  • $13.0 billion was Kroger’s annual digital sales in fiscal 2024.[51]
  • $85 billion to $95 billion was estimated 2025 U.S. online grocery demand in McKinsey’s North America forecast.[1]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Assortment and returns performance are measurable levers: 74 grocery products were relaunched online in the United States in 2023. Returns friction also appears in outcomes, with 8% of online shoppers reporting a protracted and frustrating returns experience in 2024.

Product development in the online grocery industry

  • 74 grocery products were relaunched online in the United States in 2023.[21]
  • 200 sauces and seasonings were launched online in the United States in 2023.[21]
  • 165 bakery products were launched online in the United States in 2023.[21]
  • 212 new-packaging products were launched online in the United States in 2023.[21]
  • 97% of grocers expected to increase investment in private-label innovation over the next two to three years.[1]

Product lifecycle in the online grocery industry

  • 13.4% of United States grocery sales were digital in 2024.[13]
  • 25 products manufactured in France were launched online in the United States in 2023.[21]
  • 1,114 shelf-stable products were launched online in the United States in 2023.[21]
  • $169.70 was the average digital grocery basket size in the United States in 2024.[13]
  • 89 chilled products were launched online in the United States in 2023.[21]

After-sales in the online grocery industry

  • 8% of online shoppers had a protracted and frustrating returns experience in 2024.[36]
  • 40% of online grocery orders placed with a minimum-order threshold finished below that threshold because of cancellations and substitutions in 2023.[5]
  • 77% of online shoppers were satisfied with delivery security in 2024.[36]
  • 7% of online shoppers abandoned a return because of problems with the retailer or delivery agent in 2024.[36]
  • $450 million in annual customer-service contacts and potential refunds could be reduced through fewer early or late deliveries in the United States.[5]

Value proposition in the online grocery industry

  • 26% of Walmart Express deliveries arrived within 30 minutes or less in 2026.[11]
  • 52% of United States consumers who preferred grocery delivery cited scheduling flexibility as a reason in 2026.[1]
  • 1.7 billion online grocery orders were placed in the United States in 2023.[5]
  • 67% of United States shoppers spent more with their preferred digital grocer in 2024 than in 2023.[13]
  • 70% of United States consumers preferred home delivery for online grocery fulfillment in 2026.[1]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Operational impact metrics are tracked alongside delivery: Walmart reduced operational food-loss-and-waste intensity by 3.45% against its 2016 baseline in 2025. Food diversion scale is also reported, including 669 million pounds directed to composting in 2025.

Sustainability in the online grocery industry

  • Tesco has committed to a fully electric home-delivery fleet by 2030.[63]
  • Walmart donated more than 878 million pounds of food globally in 2025.[11]
  • Amazon’s North America Grocery Private Brands business avoided 8.85 metric tons of plastic in 2024.[29]
  • 69% of Amazon’s food-related private-label products had measured carbon footprints in 2024, globally.[29]
  • Walmart reduced global operational food-loss-and-waste intensity by 3.45% against its 2016 baseline in 2025.[11]

ESG in the online grocery industry

  • Walmart’s supplier-disclosed facilities in active status totaled 24,700 in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • Walmart assessed 13,300 third-party responsible-sourcing facility audit reports in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • Amazon’s 2025 manufacturing audits found 3.1% medium-level findings for freely chosen employment and 1.0% high-level findings.[34]
  • Walmart conducted responsible-sourcing audits in 77 countries in fiscal 2025.[11]
  • Walmart supplied 53.3% of its global electricity from renewable sources in fiscal 2026.[11]

Ethics in the online grocery industry

  • Amazon’s 2025 manufacturing audits recorded 3.4% medium-level findings for working hours and 0% high-level findings.[34]
  • Tesco certified 275 supplier participants as Ethical Change-Makers during the 12 months covered by its 2024 human-rights factsheet.[63]
  • Amazon’s 2025 manufacturing audits recorded 0.2% medium-level findings for freedom of association and 0% high-level findings.[34]
  • Amazon’s 2025 manufacturing audits recorded 1.0% medium-level findings for business integrity and 0% high-level findings.[34]
  • Walmart stopped doing business with 20 suppliers in response to serious standards violations during the prior five years, reported in fiscal 2025.[11]

CSR in the online grocery industry

  • Walmart’s Foundation investments exceeded $120 million since fiscal 2021, including $30.5 million in fiscal 2026.[11]
  • Walmart directed 669 million pounds of food to composting globally in 2025.[11]
  • Walmart directed 247 million pounds of food to anaerobic digestion globally in 2025.[11]
  • Walmart donated the equivalent of more than 640 million meals through U.S. food-donation programs in 2025.[11]
  • More than 94% of Walmart’s U.S. stores, clubs and distribution centers participated in food-donation programs in 2025.[11]

Circular economy in the online grocery industry

  • Walmart reused 141 million wood pallets globally in 2025.[11]
  • Walmart recycled 272 million pounds of plastics and films globally in 2025.[11]
  • Amazon reduced North American shipments containing single-use plastic delivery packaging from 65% in 2023 to 37% in 2024.[34]
  • Walmart recycled 6.1 billion pounds of cardboard globally in 2025.[11]
  • Walmart reused 117 million break-pack boxes globally in 2025.[11]

Carbon footprint in the online grocery industry

  • U.S. retail surplus food generated 14.5 million metric tons of CO2e annually according to ReFED’s 2023 estimate.[64]
  • Walmart reduced operational emissions intensity by 11.6% year over year in fiscal 2026.[11]
  • Walmart reduced operational emissions intensity by 53.7% against its fiscal 2016 baseline in fiscal 2026.[11]
  • Walmart reduced refrigerant emissions by 20.7% in fiscal 2026.[11]
  • The U.S. Food Waste Pact estimated 16.44 million metric tons of CO2e emissions associated with retail unsold food in 2024.[65]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border demand exists at meaningful levels, with 49% of U.S. online shoppers buying from abroad in 2024. Platform reach also spans multiple countries, including 37 countries in an international cross-border shopper survey.

Globalization in the online grocery industry

  • 37% of U.S. online shoppers bought from retailers in other countries in 2024.[74]
  • 12.1% was the year-on-year increase in the global number of people ordering groceries online in 2024.[14]
  • 40% of Deliveroo’s 2024 business was generated internationally across markets including France, Italy, Hong Kong, Belgium, Singapore, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.[75]
  • 31,000 consumers in 37 countries participated in the 2024 International Post Corporation cross-border e-commerce shopper survey, which included online retail behavior relevant to grocery platforms.[76]
  • 64% of Spanish online shoppers bought from online retailers in another country in 2024.[74]

Cultural adaptation in the online grocery industry

  • 24 countries were covered in DHL’s 2024 online-shopper research, enabling comparison of local payment, delivery and shopping preferences relevant to online grocery expansion.[74]
  • Southeast Asian adults were more likely than other Asian American groups to report insufficient financial resources for obtaining adequate food in the 2022 study.[77]
  • 36% of consumers in five countries used online food-delivery platforms for restaurant orders in 2022, compared with 28% for supermarket grocery orders.[77]
  • 49% of U.S. online shoppers bought from abroad in 2024, with China, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Germany the leading source markets reported.[74]
  • 92% of online shoppers in Thailand had made a purchase through social media in 2024.[74]

Supplier management in the online grocery industry

  • 452 personal shoppers were located in the United Kingdom in 2024 on the same platform’s international network.[78]
  • 247 personal shoppers were located in Canada in 2024 on the same platform’s international network.[78]
  • 265 personal shoppers were located in Australia in 2024 on the same platform’s international network.[78]
  • 2 personal shoppers were located in Portugal in 2024 on the same platform’s international network.[78]
  • 336 personal shoppers were located in Japan in 2024 on the same platform’s international network.[78]

Stakeholder management in the online grocery industry

  • 12.5% of U.S. grocery purchases were made online in 2024, according to Everli’s market presentation.[51]
  • 2.5% of Italy’s grocery purchases were made online in 2024, according to Everli’s market presentation.[51]
  • 89% or more of Italy’s grocery market was represented by the 13 retail groups partnered with Everli in 2024.[51]
  • Approximately 23,000 grocery and retail sites were connected to Deliveroo at the end of 2024.[75]
  • 78% of Everli’s active monthly customers had been customers for more than 12 months as of December 31, 2025.[51]

Distribution channels in the online grocery industry

  • 70% of U.S. consumers preferred delivery as their online grocery fulfillment method in 2026.[1]
  • 9.8% of the United Kingdom’s online grocery market was click-and-collect in the cited market structure analysis.[79]
  • 39.3% of U.S. online grocery sales came through delivery in February 2024.[80]
  • 61.4% of the United Kingdom’s online grocery market was core home delivery in the cited market structure analysis.[79]
  • 18% of U.S. online grocery sales came through ship-to-home in February 2024.[81]

Key questions about the online grocery industry

What is the current market size for online grocery?
The global online grocery market reached $655.51 billion in 2025.
How fast is online grocery expected to grow to 2030?
The market is projected to reach $1.7213 trillion by 2030 at a 21.3% CAGR from 2025–2030.
Which companies lead the online grocery industry?
Amazon leads Gitnux's 2026 online grocery ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with grocery business exceeding $150 billion in gross sales in 2025. Walmart is the runner-up at 9.1, driven by $79.3 billion in fiscal 2025 eCommerce sales, primarily store-fulfilled pickup and delivery.
How are ordering behaviors changing with technology and AI?
In 2025, more than 20% of orders at major grocers came from recommended or preassembled baskets. In 2024, 58% of U.S. AI users used AI to compare prices.
How is market structure split between delivery and pickup?
In 2025, 63% of U.S. online grocery orders were delivered rather than collected, with delivery regaining a clear lead over pickup.
Which friction points are most linked to cart abandonment and losses?
Ipsos found higher online prices, service fees, or prices above in-store levels drive cart abandonment. Separately, McKinsey estimated logistics and delivery costs as a leading barrier to digital-grocery profitability (73% in 2024 Q1).
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 10). Online Grocery Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-grocery-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Online Grocery Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 10 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/online-grocery-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Online Grocery Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/online-grocery-industry-statistics.

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