Online sales will account for more than 21%! The prospects for US grocery e-commerce are bright

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, consumers' shopping behaviors and habits have changed dramatically. Due to lockdown restrictions, physical stores have been closed, and online stores have become one of the main shopping channels for most consumers.

Online grocery sales in the U.S. to exceed 21%

Recently, according to DMS, in 2020 , online grocery orders in the United States increased significantly , up 54%. In January 2021, online grocery revenue totaled US$9.3 billion, and total online grocery sales this year are expected to be US$112.9 billion.

Prior to the pandemic, the grocery industry was not expected to reach $100 billion in online sales until 2022, however, grocery retailers have invested in improving digital technologies and processes to achieve the expected long-term growth in online sales.

In addition, DMS data shows that by 2025, e-commerce sales will account for 21.5% of total US grocery sales.

Idaho online grocery sales up 30%

According to East Idaho News , Ibotta , a Colorado-based technology company , said that although grocery stores are open and operating, people in Idaho have turned to online channels in large numbers to purchase groceries .

“ Idaho has made a huge leap forward, before the pandemic started , they were ranked 43rd in the nation in percentage of online shopping , and over the course of the pandemic, they ’ve moved to about sixth place , ” said Richard Donahue, chief marketing officer at Ibotta.

Beyond that, Donahue analyzed some of the top products Idahoans are buying , including alcohol and cleaning supplies . He said online grocery sales in Idaho have increased 30% in 2020 .

And, Donahue said , " Consumers are naturally drawn to online grocery , and there are a lot of retailers that are pushing the category , making the selection even broader . "

Bi-Lo , a US supermarket chain , is one of the grocery stores that provides online services to consumers . Due to the increase in online shopping, Bi-Lo's owner Barry Dutton said that many products are out of stock and still unavailable . Among them, toilet paper, pet food and canned fruit are difficult to buy because many products are only produced in a certain amount each year .

Regarding the trend of consumers purchasing groceries online, both Donahue and Dutton believe that this trend of consumers gradually turning to online shopping will continue.

Grocery e-commerce

USA

Development prospects