Early 2026 is a good time to reflect on the state of the online grocery industry. 2025 was another year marked by growth, continuing the trend that kicked off during the 2020 pandemic, but it also marked a turning point: online grocery is no longer just a convenience channel, it's becoming the primary way high-value shoppers buy groceries.
This article compiles insightful data that paints a picture of the online grocery shopping landscape using full-year 2025 actuals. Let's examine the numbers and what they mean for online grocery retailers.
Online grocery shopping statistics: Market size
Online grocery exploded because of the pandemic, but the convenience offered to online shoppers has a lasting, worldwide appeal. Even today, the global online grocery market continues to grow.
In 2025, the global online grocery market reached an estimated $650-$670 billion, according to Astute Analytica ($670.8B) and Mordor Intelligence ($650B). Most forecasts place the global market in the $650B-$750B range for 2025-2026, with consensus projecting a $1 trillion+ market by 2030.
This thriving market is supported by an estimated 1.4 billion monthly consumers worldwide. They choose online grocery services for various reasons, which vary from country to country.
In the US, the top three reasons shoppers buy groceries online were:
- Saving time (77% of shoppers)
- Avoiding impulse purchases (41% of shoppers)
- Ease of comparing products and prices (38% of shoppers)
With many good reasons to use these services, online grocery shopping statistics for the US market demonstrate a continuous boom.
As of mid-2025, about 61% of U.S. households (≈81M homes, ~138.3M people) bought groceries online, a record for eGrocery household penetration.
Based on Brick Meets Click monthly data, full-year 2025 U.S. eGrocery sales totaled approximately $127-$130 billion (Delivery + Pickup + Ship-to-Home). Broader estimates from eMarketer and Capital One Shopping place the market at $200-$330B using wider definitions of digitally-influenced grocery spending.
Those who doubted that online shopping would continue to thrive when the pandemic restrictions were removed have been proved wrong.
The US online grocery market has grown with every passing year. Here are the 2025 monthly totals from Brick Meets Click:
The second half of 2025 saw a step-change: September, November, and December all crossed $12 billion, monthly totals unthinkable just two years prior.
December 2025's $12.7 billion was the highest monthly eGrocery figure ever recorded, with Delivery accounting for 45%+ of sales and Pickup holding steady.
Online grocery shopping statistics: Major players
From corner stores to major brands, there are grocery businesses of every size in the US.
According to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), there are approximately 45,575 supermarkets in the US (including conventional supermarkets, supercenters, warehouse clubs, and specialty formats). IBISWorld's 2025 report counts 78,680 supermarket and grocery store businesses (+2.2% from 2024), using a broader definition that includes smaller formats.
However, not all of these stores have embraced the future, which is online grocery.
Reports show that there are approximately 5,970 online grocery businesses in the US. This means only about 9.5% are taking advantage of the increased opportunities found online.
As the market becomes even more lucrative, retailers would be wise to take steps toward digital transformation of their stores. This is reflected in how the total number of grocery businesses decreased by around 0.9% between 2022 and 2023.
The number of online grocery businesses grew by 19.9% in the same period.
Top 5 U.S. online grocery retailers
As more players enter the field, the biggest names continue to maintain their strong positions. The top five companies in the US online grocery industry account for nearly 70% of all grocery ecommerce sales.
This table shows the 5 largest U.S. online grocery retailers, their 2025 estimated sales, growth rates, and projections for 2026:
Key takeaways: Walmart maintained dominance with 26-31% market share; its Q2 FY2026 eCommerce grew 26% with store-fulfilled delivery up 50%. Kroger posted 16-17% digital growth and expects eCommerce profitability by 2026. Albertsons sustained 21-25% digital growth in FY2025.
Online grocery shopping statistics: Consumer habits
As logistical problems like delivery times and freshness of goods are solved, ordering groceries online becomes increasingly attractive. That’s why drastic changes are happening in short amounts of time in the online grocery industry.
Today, online grocery shopping statistics show that most consumers have become very comfortable with the practice.
By year-end 2025, 61% of U.S. households bought groceries online, and U.S. online grocery penetration reached 19% of total grocery spending in December 2025, up 430 basis points versus December 2024 and the highest share since May 2020. Full-year 2025 penetration is estimated at 14-15% of total U.S. grocery sales, with 2026 projections ranging from 15% to 20%+.
Shoppers increasingly mix fulfillment methods (delivery, pickup, ship-to-home). According to Brick Meets Click, the share of households using multiple receiving methods is at an all-time high, and cross-shopping with mass retailers (especially Walmart) continues to rise.
Another report found that 40% of online grocery shoppers use these services on a weekly basis.
The popularity of online grocery stores means that consumers are visiting brick-and-mortar stores less frequently.
However, that doesn't mean they are spending any less money. According to data compiled by Drive Research, the average online grocery shopping session costs shoppers $174.
There could be various reasons behind why customers are spending more on online groceries than before, such as:
- Inflation
- Changing dietary preferences
- Switching brands
Future trends for online grocery
The future of online grocery looks to be both busy and bright. Busy because growing market penetration will bring in more customers and more competition.
Bright because as the number of shoppers increases, the number of opportunities for retailers to succeed also increases.
Through 2029, online-grocery is forecast to grow at ~8.9% CAGR, versus ~1.7% for in-store. By 2029, online-grocery could reach ~17% of total U.S. grocery sales. Also, CPG online is growing ~5× faster than in-store (~10% vs ~2% annually).
Online grocery store owners must be prepared to cater to this booming market. One way to stand out from the competition is to emphasize sustainability.
Sustainability became an even bigger priority in 2025.
- 44% of consumers are willing to pay more for food produced sustainably.
- Nearly 80% of consumers worldwide are open to paying extra for eco-friendly products.
- Among younger buyers, 60% of Millennials and 59% of Gen Z report a willingness to pay a premium for sustainable goods
Succeeding in online grocery in 2026
Online grocery shopping statistics clearly show that it has tremendous promise as an industry.
For grocery retailers willing to implement digital transformation, grocery ecommerce could be a major boost for your business.
Find the best grocery ecommerce platform to make your transition to the world of online grocery sales a smooth one.
Contact us now and learn why Wave Grocery is the right platform for your online grocery business.
Our editorial team works hand-in-hand with grocery experts and digital specialists to deliver actionable content designed to help your business thrive online. Each article is built on real industry insights and practical guidance for grocers, providing actual solutions to real problems.
