Total U.S. online grocery sales spiked in April, jumping 16%, compared to a year ago yet fell a bit when compared to the previous month of March.
In April the U.S. grocery market saw $8.4 billion in sales, four times higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to a Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey. March, however, was a bit more robust, with $9.3 billion in sales, according to a press release on the research findings.
«Online shopping has remained an attractive way to buy groceries for a sizable segment of the U.S.,» David Bishop, partner, Brick Meets Click, said the release. «Last year, retailers were in a race to meet the dramatic surge in demand. This year, it’s about executing a sound and sustainable strategy, with the imperative squarely on improving integration and implementation.»
The research revealed 67.8 million U.S. households bought groceries online in April. While that’s a 12% decline versus a year ago, shoppers placed more delivery and pickup orders.
A growing share of the monthly active user base relied on two or more methods (pickup, delivery, and/or ship-to-home) to receive online grocery orders during April, continuing a trend that began at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
«As the country opens, we’re consistently seeing double the number of active online shoppers compared to pre-COVID,» Sylvain Perrier, president and CEO, Mercatus, said in the release. «At the same time, we know there’s increasing frustration with poor execution as evidenced by the widening repeat purchase gap between first- and fourth-time online customers. My message to grocery retail executives is blunt. There are no shortcuts. If you want to maximize the value of your digital investment, you also need a well-thought-out operations plan – one that can flex in response to shopper demand and help deliver a top-notch ordering and fulfillment experience.»
