Many Americans do the bulk of their holiday shopping online — including groceries. In fact, one research company believes online grocery retail will see a 50 percent increase this season.
While the consumer trend of eGrocery is much less developed in the U.S. than in European countries, like the U.K. and France, U.S. online grocery is set to expand, with Fung Global Retail & Technology (FGRT) expecting sales to grow by 50 percent or more year over year this holiday shopping season.
Grocery eCommerce sales will get a boost this year through Walmart and Kroger’s expanded collection points, as well as Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market.
Walmart has announced its customers will be able to pick up their online grocery orders at 1,100 locations by the end of this year — and that number will nearly double in 2018. The retail giant grew its total eCommerce sales by 62 percent in the first half of its fiscal 2018 year, and it expects that growth to be around 40 percent for the full year. This total includes non-grocery categories through the benefit of its acquisitions, especially its purchase of Jet.com.
Both Walmart and Kroger have more than doubled their collection point numbers year over year by the end of the first half of their current fiscal years. Kroger’s digital revenues were up 126 percent in its most recent quarter, driven by its ClickList grocery collection service.
Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods has also had a direct impact on consumer trends and eCommerce channel growth. Amazon sold an estimated $1.6 million of Whole Foods storebrand products in the first month after taking over the chain.