Online grocery sales jump 15% in April, led by delivery
Online grocery sales continued to stay hot in April.
That’s according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey sponsored by Mercatus, which found that total sales reached $9.8 billion in the month, a 15.2% increase compared to last year and the ninth-consecutive month above $9.5 billion. April’s sales were roughly on par with March, when sales hit $9.7 billion.
Delivery led the growth for April, reaching $4.2 billion in sales with a 29.0% year-over-year increase and contributing almost three-quarters of the sales lift for the month. Ship-to-home, which rose 22.1%, contributed $1.9 billion in sales. In contrast, pickup sales remained flat compared to a year ago at $3.7 billion as the method continues to face headwinds due to the strong rise in demand for delivery.
“Historically, memberships and subscriptions were considered more effective at building loyalty with regular customers, however, today we see that these programs are also attracting shoppers from rivals as households search for more savings,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click. “Regardless, Walmart+ has become a core component of its strategy as approximately two-thirds of the households ordering groceries online from Walmart during April 2025 were Walmart+ members.”
In April, mass led the charge when it came to attracting new customers, as it continues to expand its monthly active users (MAU) base. Household penetration increased from 46% in April 2023 to 50% in April 2025. Order frequency among mass MAUs has also increased steadily over the last two years, which Brick Meets Click says illustrates how the potential to save more has motivated additional online grocery orders.
This is particularly true for Walmart. Walmart+ members spent over 40% more than non-Walmart+ members who ordered online from Walmart in April. Increased order frequency accounted for most of the gap between the two customer groups although Walmart+ members also reported higher average order values (AOV).
Loyalty remains a beneficial component of these membership/subscription programs as members are more likely to use a specific service again within the next month. For example, Brick Meets Click noted that Walmart+ members are nearly 10% more likely to express intent to reuse the same service again compared to Walmart’s online grocery customers who don’t belong to the program.
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“Discounted memberships have put Delivery in the spotlight, but lasting loyalty forms where speed, control, and value meet,” said Mark Fairhurst, chief growth marketing officer at Mercatus. “Regional grocers who combine fast, free Pickup with a compelling subscription program, data-driven rewards, and timely outreach to lapsed shoppers can turn trial orders into repeat business while protecting margins.”
Brick Meets Click conducted the most recent survey on April 29-30, 2025, with 1,699 adults, 18 years and older, who participated in the household’s grocery shopping, and a similar survey in April 2024. Results are adjusted based on internet usage among U.S. adults to account for the non-response bias associated with online surveys. Responses are geographically representative of the U.S. and weighted by age to reflect the national population of adults, 18 years and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
