The #1 online grocer is…

Online grocery shoppers have declared which retailer provides their most preferred e-commerce experience.

Walmart received the top ranking among all online grocers in a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, according to the 2023 Online Grocery Shopping Report from digital advertising platform Chicory. Amazon Fresh followed at #2, with Aldi, Kroger, Costco, Albertson’s, Ahold Delhaize, Target, H-E-B, and Whole Foods Market (also owned by Amazon) rounding out the top 10.

Respondents who typically use an online grocery platform, like Instacart or Shipt, they were instructed to select the retailer that they usually purchase from while using a third-party app.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• More than half (56%) of qualified respondents said they order groceries online more frequently now than one year ago.
• Respondents who spend the most on online grocery orders ($201 or more average order value or AOV), place orders the most frequently.
• Approximately 74% of respondents selected convenience as a top driver of their decision to order groceries online. Price is the second most important.
• Food blogs and recipe sites, alongside social media platforms, are the top sources of online meal inspiration. Consumers are comfortable purchasing directly from these channels too: approximately 51% are likely (32%) or very likely (18.5%) to purchase directly from food content.

“While online grocery adoption has slowed in recent years, activity is rising. Consumers are more comfortable than ever browsing for deals online, meal planning using digital recipes, and purchasing their full shopping lists in just a few clicks," said Chicory CEO and co-founder Yuni Sameshima. "CPG and grocery retailers can capitalize on this trend by investing in e-commerce solutions that meet consumers where they are, and in the moments that matter."

Chicory surveyed 1,337 U.S. consumers, ages 18 to 85, on Dec. 30, 2022. In total, 965 respondents qualified to complete the survey, responding yes to “Have you purchased groceries online in the past 90 days?”

Download the full report here.

Digital grocery sales rise in January

According to the January 2023 “State of Digital Grocery Performance Scorecard” from the Grocery Doppio platform managed by Incisiv and Wynshop, digital grocery sales, basket size, and items/basket all rose year-over-year in the first month of 2023. Digital baskets averaged four items more in January 2023 than they did in January 2022, a 39.7% increase.

Digital sales grew slightly year-over-year to $10.7 billion from $10.4 billion. However, at 14.7% of overall grocery sales, digital’s share of the total market reflected a decline from 15.2% in January 2022 and from the November 2022 high of 17.1%.