U.S. online grocery sales grew 17.8% in November, with monthly active users hitting a new high

It is learned that on December 10, according to foreign media reports, the US online grocery market grew by 17.8% year-on-year in November, with monthly sales reaching US$9.6 billion and the monthly active user (MAU) base hitting a record high.

According to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus survey, the number of households that purchased groceries online reached 77.8 million in November, exceeding the record set in April 2020. All three delivery methods (delivery, pickup, and home delivery) achieved significant growth, and the overall MAU base increased by 15% year-on-year, the second largest increase since August 2021.

Among the three delivery methods, delivery services performed the best, with sales reaching $3.9 billion in November, a year-on-year increase of 22%, accounting for 40.6% of total online grocery sales. The sales growth was mainly due to an 8% increase in the MAU base and enhanced order activities. Although the average order value was the same as last year, the continued growth of the delivery business has maintained a strong momentum since June. This trend is believed to be closely related to a series of membership and subscription plan discounts launched by retailers and suppliers since May.

Self-pickup sales also reached $3.9 billion, accounting for 41.3% of total monthly sales, an increase of 8% year-on-year. Although the order frequency decreased slightly, the 9% MAU base expansion drove the growth in order volume. However, compared with 2023, the AOV of the self-pickup service decreased by about 4.5%, mainly due to the decline in purchases by young family groups (18-29 years old).

Home delivery services have regained their growth momentum, with sales jumping to $1.7 billion in November, up more than 30% year-on-year, accounting for 18.1% of total online grocery sales. Among the three delivery methods, home delivery has the fastest growth in MAU base, up more than 11% year-on-year. Brick Meets Click said that the slight increase in order frequency and the rapid growth of MAU have jointly driven a significant increase in order volume.

David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click, noted that the number of MAUs for online grocery services increased significantly in November, which is closely related to the extensive discount membership and subscription programs offered by national and regional grocery stores. This is a positive signal for the supermarket industry, but competition among retailers to attract customers and expand market share will be more intense.

In addition, customer satisfaction with online grocery services has improved, with the overall re-use intention rate reaching 65.2% in November, the highest level in the past four years. Brick Meets Click pointed out that this growth is attributed to the increase of more than 5% in the proportion of MAUs who have used a specific service to complete four or more orders in the past three months. Among this group, more than 80% of consumers said they are very likely to continue using the same service next month, while the proportion of first-time consumers is less than 30%.

Overall, the expansion trend of the US online grocery market is closely related to consumers' demand for convenience and efficiency, while retailers' continued investment in membership programs and promotional offers is driving market competition. In the future, with the introduction of emerging delivery models and the improvement of service quality, this market is expected to usher in more growth opportunities.

Author ✎Rayna/

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