Online grocery sales hit $12.5 billion in September fueled by increase in users
September was another strong month for online grocery sales.
Sales reached a new high of $12.5 billion in September 2025, marking a 31% increase over the previous year and the second consecutive month a record was set, according to the Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey, sponsored by Mercatus. September’s total also increased compared to August, when sales reached $11.2 billion.
The overall base of online grocery’s monthly active users hit a new high during September 2025, up nearly 13% year over year. Brick Meets Clicks noted that the vast majority of the increase came from re-engaging less frequent customers who most recently bought groceries online two to three months prior. All three receiving methods posted gains in their respective MAU bases in September compared last year, with delivery setting a new high as well. In addition, all age groups reported more MAUs year over year, with the 60-plus age cohort contributing almost half of the annual gains.
The average number of online orders per MAU during the month climbed 9% versus a year ago, marking 13 consecutive months of year over year gains in frequency. This increase was fueled by a jump in the share of MAUs completing three or more online orders during September, according to Brick Meets Click, with small metro markets posting the strongest relative gains in frequency, climbing at a rate nearly twice that of the other market types.
The combined average order value (AOV) for delivery and pickup grew by almost 8% year over year in September. Gains were recorded across the supermarket, mass and dollar channels, along with larger surges in spending at hard discounters and clubs. In addition, Ship-to-home’s AOV finished up by nearly 11% year over year, driven primarily by Amazon’s pure-play services and the firm’s ongoing expansion of same-day fresh grocery, according to Brick Meets Click.
[READ MORE: Retail sales slow in September ahead of holiday season]
The share of weekly grocery spending that went online in September 2025 jumped 400 basis points (bps) versus last year, ending the month at nearly 19%. This marks the second highest contribution level recorded for online grocery, behind only May 2020. From January through September 2025, in-store sales growth year over year slowed to under 1.5% compared to 3.0% during the comparable period in 2024.
“A sign of the growing challenges facing regional grocers is the sharp increase in the share of grocery MAUs that also completed at least one e-grocery order with Mass during September versus the two prior years,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click. “The results reveal cross-shopping rates with Walmart continued to expand significantly in 2025, and the rate for Target also increased year over year, even though it remains significantly lower than Walmart.”
Brick Meets Click conducted the most recent survey on Sept. 28-30, 2025, with 1,493 adults, 18 years and older, who participated in the household’s grocery shopping, and a similar survey in September 2024.
