Online grocery gains as store sales decline

BARRINGTON, Ill. — U.S. online grocery sales continued their extended period of strong growth in July, rising 21.5% from a year earlier as consumers ordered more frequently and increasingly turned to delivery and ship-to-home options.

The latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopping Survey found that average order frequency among monthly active users increased by 14.9% year over year in July. The survey was conducted from July 29 through July 31.

All of the major eGrocery performance metrics improved year over year, extending a period in which online grocery has consistently outperformed the broader grocery market.

Delivery was the largest driver of July’s growth, accounting for about 60% of the year-over-year increase in eGrocery sales. Growth in monthly active users and order frequency more than offset a decline in average order value.

Ship-to-home accounted for roughly 25% of the year-over-year sales increase. Although operating from a smaller base than delivery, the channel benefited from sharply higher spending per order, with average order value up more than 20% from a year earlier.

Pickup also posted year-over-year gains across the major performance indicators, but its growth trailed both delivery and ship-to-home.

The results highlight a widening divide between online and in-store grocery spending. Online sales increased 21.5% in July, while in-store grocery sales declined 2.6%. Brick Meets Click said online sales have increased year over year every month in 2026, while brick-and-mortar sales have either remained flat or declined.

The sustained growth is part of a broader shift in grocery shopping behavior. Brick Meets Click reported in June that U.S. eGrocery sales had grown more than 20% year over year for six consecutive quarters through the first quarter of 2026. Faster fulfillment options and reduced friction for shoppers have helped fuel the expansion.

The latest results also highlight an increasingly important competitive issue for traditional grocers. As consumers become more willing to use delivery for routine grocery purchases, retailers must balance investments in their e-commerce platforms with efforts to protect store traffic.

Brick Meets Click said shoppers are reevaluating the trade-off between fulfillment speed and fees, adding pressure on grocers trying to grow their first-party digital businesses while maintaining the economics of their physical stores.