Sales can occur through channels outside of traditional grocers or supermarkets, such as warehouse clubs and superstores, convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacy/drug stores, and online delivery and meal-kit subscription services. Grocery Ecommerce Sales by Fulfillment Method. Delivery: Sales of grocery products ordered using the internet for home or work delivery.

Busy, dual-income households increasingly demand time-saving meals, but don't want to sacrifice quality. For many, the go-to solution has been meal kits, which marketers have touted as healthy, convenient alternatives to traditional home cooking.

Consumers are constantly in search of convenience, particularly in the form of timesaving. In the past 12 months, numerous direct-to-consumer (D2C) meal plan services have emerged, offering consumers an alternative solution to home cooking without paying a dreaded visit to the grocery store—or spending time trying to figure out a recipe.

Grocery companies—and more specifically their systems and services—have really been put to the test amid the pandemic. Many grocers are having trouble keeping items on the shelves. And even the most prepared are encountering issues with supply chain logistics.

Lunch and dinner subscription company MealPal started out as a service through which consumers could pick up meals from local restaurants during the work week—but, like many in the food industry, it has adjusted its operations for quarantined customers. The company now offers groceries supplied by local restaurants via MealPal Market.

Subscriptions like Netflix and Spotify have successfully transformed the way people engage with media, but retail subscriptions are yet to transform the way people shop. So far, retail subscription boxes have seen momentum within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) category—think companies like Blue Apron, Dollar Shave Club and Birchbox. Despite the waves these companies have made, are consumers actually ready to automate their purchases of everyday goods?

Meal kits are experiencing an uptick in popularity as more people practice social distancing and turn to alternatives to limit their grocery store shopping.

Over the past few weeks, online grocery stores and meal kits have seen a stream of orders coming in, not only from existing customers, but also new ones looking to avoid physical stores during the pandemic. Plant-based meal company Splendid Spoon is one of those receiving demand.

Consumers: World and World Elite credit cardmembers new to DashPass—DoorDash’s subscription service that offers free delivery—will receive a free three-month membership. New and existing DashPass members will get a $5 discount on their first two orders of $12 or more every month until September 30, 2022.

A lot has happened in the retail space in the past 12 months. Nordstrom opened up its flagship store in New York City around the same time that brick and mortar veterans like Barney’s are closing up shop. More consumers got comfortable with buy online, pick up in-store (BOPUS)—especially as more brands adopted the service—and retailers such as Banana Republic and Bloomingdale's rolled out their own clothing rental services hoping to gain mass market appeal.

Grocery and meal kits, which are typically more expensive, have seen even higher churn, with only 7% still subscribing despite about one-fifth having tried it. Customers stick with subscriptions they believe are delivering consistent value for what they pay, and a subscription box that too often sends you items you don’t like quickly loses the perception of value.