Same-day perishables are increasing order frequency and spending while taking share from traditional grocers.

The campaign aims to turn price-sensitive trial into more frequent basket-building.

Discover how UK consumers shop across online and offline channels, what influences their buying decisions, and which trends are reshaping the path to purchase.

EMARKETER-exclusive data shows Instacart Q2 grocery purchase intent climbed past Amazon as shoppers favored convenience, speed, and retailer choice.

More customers are buying perishables as convenience and value pull spending away from supermarket chains.

Digital grocery has evolved from a pandemic-era convenience to a core retail channel. More than 90% of US consumers now shop for groceries both online and in-store, according to FMI and NielsenIQ. As the channel matures, the competitive battleground shifts from basic fulfillment to AI-powered personalization, retail media monetization, and seamless omnichannel experiences. This FAQ addresses the trends, players, and strategies shaping digital grocery in 2026.

Consumers stick with Instacart amid uncertainty: The delivery platform’s orders jumped 14% in Q1 thanks to its Uber partnership and a lower minimum for Instacart+ members.

The future of ecommerce is grocery. Historically, three categories led the US ecommerce market: apparel and accessories, computer and consumer electronics, and furniture and home furnishings. But in recent years, growth has been fueled by essential goods, including food and beverage items, personal care products, and household supplies. This shift will take grocery to the top of the four major ecommerce categories by 2026.

The year 2021 marks a new era for retail and ecommerce. The pandemic drove a massive shift in almost everything digital, and while 2020 will remain an anomaly in terms of the frenzied pace of adoption, consumers’ new behavior is here to stay. Over the next five years, digital activities will continue growing from today’s accelerated base.

On today's episode, we discuss why shoppers like livestream shopping, why brands are keen to get involved, why it took off in China, and why it hasn't had as much success in the West—yet. We then talk about when Amazon Prime Day might be this year, Amazon considering opening a chain of discount stores, the top reason for online grocery shopping, and the places people typically begin their search when shopping for a product online. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior researcher Man-Chung Cheung and analyst at Insider Intelligence Daniel Keyes.

The pandemic is pushing more people to digital—some even for the first time—as many look to activities they may not have considered before lockdown.

Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes, principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and senior forecasting analyst Cindy Liu discuss how the coronavirus changed retail and ecommerce. What are our base, best and worst cases scenarios? They then talk about who frictionless retail is for and what Americans' online grocery experience really looks like.

Amid the countless (mostly unpleasant) surprises brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, one development was entirely predictable: the surge in online ordering of groceries and other essential items.

Online grocery is a massive and fast-growing market. We estimate that grocery ecommerce in the US—specifically online food and beverage sales—will grow 18.2% to $19.89 billion in 2019 and will rank as the fastest-growing product category online.

Online shopping has become a sport during Thanksgiving week and beyond, and it's also starting to play a role in the holiday meal itself. In many ways, the convenience of buying groceries online seems well-suited for larger-than-usual gatherings, even if it is used by only a small number of consumers.

Even though food and beverage has traditionally been a product category with low digital penetration in the US—we peg the category at 2.8% of all retail ecommerce sales for 2018—online sales are steadily picking up steam.

Older consumers often get short shrift in studies about online shopping behavior because they aren't digital natives like coveted Gen Z and millennials. But it makes sense that older consumers who may not drive or who may have trouble carrying groceries would take advantage of online grocery delivery if they could.