March 2025 eGrocery Surges to $9.7 Billion: What It Means for Competing Online

Online grocery retailing is in the midst of its next major growth curve as the numbers show.  In March 2025, U.S. eGrocery sales hit $9.7 billion, marking a 21% year-over-year increase and the eighth consecutive month sales exceeded $9.5 billion. 

Before this streak, eGrocery had recorded just four months where sales topped $9.0 since March 2020. The new threshold of $9.5 billion is more than just a number or trend, it’s a wake-up call for any firm competing to win in a market that’s getting faster, smarter, and fiercer by the day.

Delivery has Taken the Lead—Here’s the What & Why

Delivery is booming— YOY sales climbed over 30% for March ’25. Plus, its share of sales has climbed from 26% in 2019 to 43% today. What’s fueling the recent sales surge? A sharp rise in monthly active users (MAUs), triggered by deep discounts on annual membership/subscription plans across retailers and providers.

For Mass retailers, Supermarkets, or third-party marketplace providers, the message is clear: Customers appreciate ways to save money, even if it means a year-long commitment.  While sometimes, these offers have driven trial by non-customers, they are mainly boosting frequency and order value as light users morph into more frequent and higher-value customers.

Pickup Is Holding Strong—Especially in Supermarkets

While Delivery is surging, Pickup isn’t sitting still. It’s quietly gaining ground again, especially in the Supermarket segment where membership perks are helping to make Pickup more affordable by minimizing or eliminating service fees, especially as Supermarkets are more likely to have a service fee while most Mass retailers don’t. Pickup sales share has climbed from 32% in 2018 to almost 39% in March ‘25.

This is a reminder that convenience matters—but cost does too. Retailers that reduce the friction and cost of Pickup are well-positioned to capture shoppers who want more control and flexibility without paying more than necessary.

Ship-to-Home: Still Contributing to Growth, But No Longer the Star

Pre-COVID, Ship-to-Home led the pack with 42% of online grocery sales. Fast forward to March 2025, and it’s dropped to just 18%. While it saw a small rebound in 2024, its role is now more niche—best suited for non-perishables and specialty items.

"Mixing of Methods" Increases

One of the more subtle but powerful trends? Multi-method shopping. Before COVID, only 15% of online grocery shoppers used more than one fulfillment method to receive eGrocery orders during the prior 30-day period. Now, around 30% of households use some combination of Delivery, Pickup, and Ship-to-Home depending on mission and need.

This means the old playbook—one-size-fits-all promotions—just doesn’t cut it anymore. The retailers winning today are those that take the time to get clear visibility across fulfillment methods, promote tailored offers, and provide a more seamless shopping experience.

Five Years after the Pandemic: Growth in a Competitive Market

Let’s take a step back. In August 2019, online grocery sales were $2 billion. Then COVID hit, and in March 2020, sales jumped to $6.5 billion—a 200% spike in just seven months. The sector peaked in early 2021, cooled off during the inflation crunch, and now we’re in the midst of another growth wave—driven not by a health crisis, but by a smart promotional tactic to lock-in users.

March 2025 marks the eighth consecutive month with eGrocery sales topping $9.5 billion. This isn’t a blip. It’s an ongoing transformation, driven this time by design as opposed to out of necessity due to a health issue.

What This Growth Means for Grocery Retail Executives

If you’re competing in the eGrocery space, here are several takeaways to consider:

• Lean into memberships and subscriptions. They're proving essential for strengthening connections or loyalty with customers while building more recurring revenue.
• Double down on Delivery—but don’t neglect Pickup. Each channel attracts different shoppers for different missions.
• Optimize to meet needs. Today’s shoppers are even more fluid, as online shopping has made it not just easier to get your groceries, but it also expanded the range of providers you’d consider buying from, based on need and sometimes habit.
• Invest in customer experience. As expectations rise, meaningful and relevant rewards and personalized engagement can help set you apart—or at least prevent you from falling behind.

“Customer expectations around online grocery have only increased since COVID-19 pushed many to give it a try,” said Mark Fairhurst, Chief Growth Marketing Officer, Mercatus. “Retailers that elevate the experience with relevant offers and meaningful rewards won’t just meet shoppers’ evolving needs—they’ll build stronger connections that fuel long-term growth.”

The landscape for eGrocery retail is surging—again. Who will be the winners? The retailers who adapt the fastest in ways the customers appreciate and value.

For more information about March 2025 results, check out the latest Brick Meets Click eGrocery Dashboard or visit the eGrocery Monthly Sales report page for information about subscribing to the full monthly report.

About this consumer research

The Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopping Survey is an ongoing independent research initiative created and conducted by the team at Brick Meets Click and sponsored by Mercatus.

Brick Meets Click conducted the most recent survey on March 30-31, 2025, with 1,699 adults, 18 years and older, who participated in the household’s grocery shopping, and a similar survey in March 2024 (n=1,810). Results are adjusted based on internet usage among U.S. adults to account for the non-response bias associated with online surveys. Responses are geographically representative of the U.S. and weighted by age to reflect the national population of adults, 18 years and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The three receiving methods for online grocery orders are defined as follows:

• Delivery includes orders received from a first- or third-party provider like Instacart, Shipt or the retailer's own employees.
• Pickup includes orders that are received by customers either inside or outside a store or at a designated location/locker.
• Ship-to-Home includes orders that are received via common or contract carriers like FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.