See where US consumers want to earn rewards

US grocery delivery ecommerce sales will grow by 11.4% this year to reach $79.71 billion. This marks a deceleration from 2020, which saw a 41.7% increase in online sales of grocery products fulfilled via delivery.

The pandemic has been a boon for digital grocery adoption. In 2020, the number of digital grocery buyers increased by more than 39 million. While growth won’t be as significant in 2021, it will still be a landmark year, as digital grocery buyers will surpass 142 million, amounting to more than half the US population (51.5%) for the first time.

Delivery intermediaries like DoorDash, Instacart, Shipt, and Uber will see strong US grocery sales through 2025 even as their growth in the category declines.

US digital grocery sales grew 63.9% year over year during the pandemic in 2020. In 2021, sales will reach $122.39 billion. This report details the emerging trends in digital grocery and the implications for key players in the space.

Walmart Inc. will outsell Amazon in the US digital grocery market this year, generating $35.38 billion in sales over the ecommerce giant’s $29.12 billion.

It’s no secret that US grocery ecommerce sales skyrocketed last year, shooting up by 63.9% over 2019. Our forecast reveals that growth will continue for the next few years, though not at the same unprecedented rate.

Walmart edged out Amazon in 2020 as the leading US grocery ecommerce retailer. We expect Walmart to continue outselling Amazon in grocery ecommerce sales through our 2023 projections.

Instacart's growth exploded in 2020, with sales increasing by 229.7% over 2019, for a total of $23.42 billion. But by the end of 2021, the grocery delivery company's sales will grow by a comparatively small 11.3%, which is in line with market norms.

Walmart outsells Amazon in this key category

Ecommerce helped retail out of a sticky spot during the pandemic, and those habits formed during lockdowns will endure, as digital demands more attention than ever—37.5% of all retail sales this year will be ecommerce sales.

Learn how the pandemic, the biggest disruption to consumer retail spending in recent years, impacted US retail—and how it will impact your planning for 2021 and beyond.

US click-and-collect sales more than doubled in 2020 and will sustain double-digit growth rates over the next four years. We forecast that click-and-collect sales will follow up last year’s 106.9% growth rate with a 15.2% increase this year, and that 150.4 million people in the US will make a purchase via click and collect at least once in 2021.

Online grocery took off dramatically in 2020 as a result of the pandemic; that’s no surprise to anyone. According to our estimates, food and beverage was by far the fastest-growing ecommerce category in the US in 2020. Given its low penetration and high sales growth, digital grocery is the next big opportunity in ecommerce.

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically altered the US retail and ecommerce landscape, with varying impacts in retail category growth.

Coronavirus effects have radically altered the US retail and ecommerce landscape, with surprising changes in consumer behavior and category and retailer performance.

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.

Consumers’ desire for affordability and convenience has bolstered demand for online grocery. And as heavy hitters continue to roll out offerings—like Walmart's buy online pick up in-store (BOPUS) and "InHome Delivery" options, as well as Amazon's "Key for Garage" and same-day shipping—their respective double-digit growth speaks for itself.

Walmart’s expansion of Delivery Unlimited, its grocery delivery membership, is the latest attempt by a major retailer to make online grocery shopping more appealing. But better delivery value only addresses cost—not quality.