E-commerce of Food Products in the United States 

In July (latest available data), online sales of food products in the American market exceeded $10 billion, $2.1 billion more than in July 2024. July 2025 ranks third among the months with the highest sales: first place goes to October 2024, with online sales of food and beverages amounting to $10.5 billion.

Update as of September 10, 2025

Mobile e-commerce is the fastest-growing sales channel in the American market 

Update as of May 15, 2025

Online grocery sales in the United States reached $9.8 billion in April, with a 15.2% year-over-year increase. This marks the ninth consecutive month that the market has exceeded the $9.5 billion threshold in online sales.

Home delivery drives online sales of specialty foods

The home delivery channel remains the main driver of sector expansion, totaling $4.2 billion USD (+29% y/y) and generating nearly three-quarters of the monthly growth in online sales in America. This is followed by:

• Ship-to-Home: $1.9 billion USD, +22.1% y/y
• Pickup: $3.7 billion USD, no change from the previous year, indicating a consumer preference increasingly oriented towards home delivery.

Competitive Dynamics

Mass Market retailers — led by Walmart — are expanding their penetration into American households and increasing the frequency of online orders, thereby strengthening their market share.

Typical delivery methods in online food sales in the American market

The analysis of the American grocery e-commerce market highlights a growth in sales driven by home delivery, while traditional methods like in-store pickup show signs of saturation in terms of volume.

Update as of March 19, 2025

In the March 19, 2025 update of this article we wrote that e-grocery has reached levels unimaginable before 2020 in America. In the following update, we delve into the developments of online food commerce in terms of consumer behaviors.

Online Food and Beverage Shopping for the American Consumer

The online shopping habits of grocery and beverage consumers are consolidating, but three aspects deserve our attention:

• The average value of an online transaction is $112 compared to $43 for in-store shopping. This means larger but less frequent purchases [Source: FMI]
• Consumers use e-commerce to stock up on bulky or long-shelf-life items (beverages, canned goods, detergents), while they prefer to buy fresh and perishable products in-store
• Models like click & collect (buy online and pick up in-store) and curbside pickup (roadside pickup) and subscriptions (e.g., Walmart+, Amazon Prime) are growing in popularity

Why should a consumer in the United States choose online shopping today?

Among the reasons in favor of e-commerce cited by Americans are time savings, the convenience of not carrying heavy loads, and the ease of use (saved orders, repeatable with one click). Shopping online also allows for greater price transparency, a factor that appeals to budget-conscious consumers because it allows them to compare prices and see the updated total of the cart.

The perceived downsides for the public in the USA (and what is also slowing greater penetration) are delivery costs, extra charges applied for order preparation, and concerns about the quality of fruits and vegetables delivered to the home.

Update as of September 11, 2024

Shopping and E-commerce in 2024: Consumer Habits in the United States

Shopping in the United States reflects the habits and preferences of an ever-evolving population. Traditionally, Americans preferred physical supermarkets for grocery shopping, but recent years have seen a significant shift due to the widespread adoption of e-commerce.

Estimated revenues for 2024 exceed $257 billion, with a forecasted increase to $422 billion by 2028. This surge is fueled by a customer base of about 138 million consumers.

Which companies are the most established in the USA?

While Amazon maintains a significant position in the online grocery sector in the United States, it is Walmart that leads the market, standing out in both sales volume and brand recognition. Uber Eats, which has established itself as a leading platform in the home delivery sector, follows closely: nearly 80% of consumers recognize the brand, a testament to its strong presence and success in the food sector.

Despite the success in the e-commerce world, these companies face increasing competition from new competitors specializing in meal kits and ready meals delivery. The platform Instacart, dedicated to grocery delivery, was the second most visited online grocery site in the United States in December 2023. HelloFresh, another key player in meal kit supply, continues to gain ground, solidifying itself as one of the most recognized brands in the market.

Why do Americans shop online?

• Saving time
• Avoiding impulse purchases

Update as of December 1, 2022

Amazon Extends Free Grocery Delivery and Pickup in the USA to Non-Prime Consumers

Amazon, the e-commerce giant, is revolutionizing the U.S. food e-commerce sector with the extension of grocery delivery and pickup to non-Prime users nationwide. These services were once exclusive to Prime members, but with this change, Amazon aims to engage a broader audience through Amazon Fresh and soon through Whole Foods Market.

Amazon's strategy is clear: to diversify and make its food services more accessible by following an omnichannel sales model, also to strengthen its presence in the U.S. market. The goal is to position itself as the undisputed leader in online food sales. This significant change in the e-commerce landscape in the Food sector will have important implications for American consumers and the sector overall.

Update as of August 31, 2022

Food Sales in the USA: Why It Is Essential to Sell Online to Keep Up with American Consumers

In America, grocery e-commerce has seen 5 years of growth in 5 months. Italian companies already active in the U.S. market are even more optimistic about the growth potential of this shopping channel, expecting market penetration of up to 35%. This figure goes well beyond our previous projections and reflects a significant change in the buying behavior of American consumers.

As for grocery shopping through e-commerce in the USA, in the first half of 2022, consumers began to shift from online purchases with in-store pickup to home delivery (a reversal from what was said in October 2021). Despite the continued prevalence of traditional shopping, we are also seeing emerging buying behaviors that change based on the shopping occasion.

The proliferation of various shopping options based on the occasion suggests to retailers or those looking to start selling food products in the United States to offer more online shopping options: American consumer carts are increasingly smaller due to the segmentation of grocery shopping, and more e-commerce options will be the gateway to greater growth and profitability.

Originally published on October 28, 2021

E-commerce Will Account for 20% of Grocery Sales in the United States by 2026

Online grocery sales in America will account for more than 20% of the global market within the next five years: several years ahead of pre-pandemic projections

A Mercatus/Incisiv study predicted that this year, e-commerce grocery sales will account for 9.5% of the total sector sales in the United States, which reached $1.097 trillion in 2021. In 2020, e-commerce sales in America were worth 8.1% of the total $1.137 trillion. From this year's record numbers, the market share occupied by digital is expected to increase to 11.1% on $1.124 trillion (2022) up to 20.5% on $1.285 trillion in 2026. According to pre-Covid estimates, e-commerce grocery sales were expected to reach 5.4% of the total market in 2021 from 4.3% in 2020, then rise to 6.8% in 2022 and 14.5% in 2026.

 

The new consumption behavior now ingrained in American consumers and the greater convenience of online supermarkets will ensure steady growth in online specialty food sales in the United States

The reason for the enormous earnings in the online food sector is twofold: American consumers have been so influenced by health and safety issues related to the pandemic that over 40% made online purchases in 2020, an 80% increase from 2018. This trend doesn't seem to be stopping because even with store reopenings and eased restrictions, the adoption of the new consumption model continues to grow.

The data collected within the study limited to the United States is promising:

• 72% of respondents purchase groceries online in America because it is convenient;
• 45% purchase products online because it takes less time;
• 30% report that the use of online shopping was induced by the pandemic but continues to use the service because it is convenient.
   

Click-and-collect is growing in America as the preferred shopping method

In the United States, home delivery of groceries will gradually lose popularity among consumers 

The click-and-collect is a shopping method that allows American consumers to buy online and then go to the selected store to pick up the grocery order.

This year, home deliveries have decreased because more grocery customers have returned to completing purchases in-store. As for digital consumers, 76% of those who buy groceries online have gravitated towards click-and-collect, 31% have chosen curbside pickup, and 24% have continued to prefer home delivery.

The study has thus shown that Covid has changed the online shopping preferences of grocery consumers in the United States.

Before the pandemic

• 27% of online grocery consumers preferred home delivery
• 33% preferred curbside pickup
• 40% preferred in-store pickup

During the peak of the pandemic

• 31% opted for home delivery
• 41% preferred curbside pickup
• 28% chose in-store pickup

Today, with more relaxed health conditions

• 24% express a preference for home delivery
• 31% prefer curbside pickup
• 44% opt for in-store pickup

It is even expected that home delivery will fall below pre-pandemic levels. It is almost certain that three-quarters of all online orders will be fulfilled through stores, whether inside or outside: suffice it to say that among suburban families, the adoption of home delivery is 80% lower than urban American consumers. Moreover, personalized delivery entails a higher cost, and only 15% would be willing to pay an extra fee for this benefit.

 

Click-and-collect is the ideal solution for supermarkets and specialty food stores in America

In-store grocery pickup services offer companies in the sector greater control over costs in managing online American consumers compared to delivery via third parties.

Customers in America highly appreciate the accuracy, flexibility, and convenience offered by the click-and-collect service. If done well, the in-store pickup service provides a better overall shopping experience that allows for building lasting relationships with American consumers, who are highly likely to replicate the purchase.

 

The return to physical stores by American consumers is a valuable indicator of the transformations taking place within the food shopping models in America 

No, grocery e-commerce and mobile commerce are not waning. On the contrary, online food sales in the United States will offer increasingly more opportunities to those who own physical stores in America and want to increase sales across various channels. Fertile times are on the horizon for the food retail businesses operating in the American market: thanks to e-commerce, they could manage to capture new American consumers who might never have discovered them without the internet.