U.S. online grocery sales totaled $11.2 billion in August 2025, climbing nearly 14% year-over-year (YOY) to reach a new monthly high, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey, sponsored by Mercatus. The strong growth was driven by YOY gains in household penetration, order frequency, and average order values (AOVs).
“As the U.S. e-grocery market continues to expand at an exceptionally strong pace, a key heads up for grocery operators is the growth of multi-method, multi-channel shopping, including cross-shopping with mass retailers like Walmart,” says David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click. “To compete effectively, regional grocers must focus on retaining their newer and less frequent online customers and providing a seamless, multi-faceted digital experience that reinforces loyalty and minimizes reasons to shop with rivals.”
Key takeaways:
· Results by fulfillment method for August 2025 were mixed. Delivery, which drove most of the YOY growth, saw sales jump 30% compared to the prior year. Its robust performance was fueled by a strong expansion of its monthly active user (MAU) base and significant AOV gains. Ship-to-home also saw accelerated growth, with its sales climbing 19% YOY, driven by solid gains with MAUs, order frequency, and AOV. In contrast, pickup’s monthly sales contracted, down by 4% compared to last year, due to a pullback in order frequency and spending below the rate of price inflation.
· Sales share trends also show mixed results. Delivery captured almost six additional percentage points of sales share in August, finishing the month with 45% of total e-grocery sales. Ship-to-home gained sales share for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, pickup shed more than six percentage points vs. August 2024.
· The overall MAU base for e-grocery expanded by 1% in August 2025. This gain was largely due to the re-engagement of infrequent or lapsed customers and YOY penetration gains in the 18-29 and 45-60 age groups. Delivery's MAU base reached a record high, jumping 11% in August, driven by strong gains in the 18-29 and 30-44 age groups. Pickup’s MAU base expanded in the low single digits while ship-to-home's base showed strong YOY gains.
