BARRINGTON, Ill. — U.S. e-grocery sales climbed to a record $11.2 billion in August 2025, up nearly 14% year over year, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey sponsored by Mercatus. The increase was fueled by more households shopping online, higher order frequency, and bigger average order values (AOVs).
Fulfillment Trends Show Mixed Results
Delivery led the way, with e-grocery sales in the channel jumping 30% YOY. Growth was driven by an 11% rise in monthly active users (MAUs) and higher spending per order. Delivery now accounts for 45% of total e-grocery sales, a six percentage point increase from last year.
Ship-to-Home also delivered strong results, with sales rising 19% YOY, boosted by gains in MAUs, order frequency, and AOV. The method has now gained sales share for two consecutive years, supported by Amazon’s expansion of same-day fresh grocery service.
Pickup was the only channel to contract, with monthly sales down 4% YOY due to declines in both order frequency and spending.
Consumers Use Multiple Channels
The overall e-grocery MAU base rose 1% in August, driven by the re-engagement of infrequent or lapsed customers. A growing share of households now use two or three fulfillment methods for their e-grocery orders, instead of relying on just one.
Cross-shopping with mass retailers, especially Walmart, is also at an all-time high among supermarket and hard-discount e-grocery shoppers, signaling that customers want variety and flexibility.
Ordering More, Spending More
Online grocery order volume per MAU rose 5.8% YOY, averaging 2.70 orders per month—the twelfth straight month of growth. All fulfillment methods recorded YOY gains in AOV, with Delivery leading the way at +10%.
What It Means for Grocery Retailers
As the e-grocery market expands, operators face the challenge of keeping newer and less frequent online customers engaged. Brick Meets Click notes that August’s repeat-intent gains were concentrated among established customers, while newer shoppers showed some slippage.
To stay competitive, regional grocers are urged to:
- Retain and re-engage infrequent online customers.
- Deliver a seamless, multi-channel digital experience to discourage defections to rivals.
As consumer behavior continues to shift, adapting to these e-grocery trends will be crucial for retailers seeking to sustain growth in 2025 and beyond.
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 August 29-31, 2025, with 1,513 adults, 18 years and older, who participated in the household’s grocery shopping, and a similar survey in August 2024 (n=1,829). 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 and income 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 received via common or contract carriers, such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS.
