Monthly active users drop to 60.1 million! US online grocery sales plummet

U.S. online grocery sales plunged 14% to $8 billion in February from $9.3 billion in January , according to Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery , but the decline was not surprising.

" While January sales were a record high for online grocery sales in the U.S. , it was not surprising that overall sales contracted in February ," said David Bishop , a partner at Barrington, Illinois-based online grocery store grocer .

Monthly active users dropped to 60.1 million

The survey showed that the main reason for the decline in sales in February was the decrease in the number of households purchasing food online, with monthly active users falling from 69.7 million in January to 60.1 million in February, a decrease of 12% . Among them, most of the decrease (more than 40%) came from the age group over 60, which may be due to the promotion of vaccination across the United States, which has increased people's confidence and/or personal preference for in-store shopping .

Lower order frequency also played a factor in the drop in sales, with online grocery shoppers ordering 6% fewer items, averaging 2.7 in February compared to 2.8 in January. The biggest drop was in home delivery , where order frequency fell 12%, the survey showed. However, combined delivery/pickup business was down just 4% from the previous month.

The report also found that as households become more familiar with online grocery shopping, consumers’ expectations and perceptions of this shopping method have changed . In February, average order value ( AOV) increased 4% month-over-month , which helped offset the decline in the shopper base and order frequency in February.

The survey showed that 58% of households were extremely/very likely to place the same delivery or pickup service order in the next 30 days. While the overall satisfaction indicator scores were roughly equal for both pickup and delivery phases, there were significant differences in the first-time user scores for each phase .

According to the survey, more than 40% of first-time delivery service users said they were very likely to use the same service again; in contrast, the proportion of first-time pickup service users who repeatedly used the service dropped to less than 30%. As stores open, more people will shop in-store, but online shopping is still one of the development directions.

Online Grocery

USA

Monthly Active Users