Online grocery sales reach $11.6 billion in October
Online grocery sales continued to climb year over year in October.
Online grocery sales hit $11.6 billion in October 2025, up 10.5% over the previous year, driven by an expanding base of monthly active users (MAUs). according to Brick Meets Click’s latest Grocery Shopper Survey sponsored by Mercatus. However, the growth was tempered by slower gains in order frequency, and pullback in average order values (AOV).
In September, online grocery sales hit $12.5 billion, making a 31% increase over the previous year.
The overall base of online grocery MAUs grew almost 13% year over year to finish October 2025 with 83.3 million households, surpassing the record high set last month. Brick Meets Click says most of the MAU growth came from reengaging infrequent users who last bought groceries online two to three months ago, but some of the gain came from households that have never shopped online for groceries before, causing the total user base to expand at its fastest annual rate since February 2022. All three receiving methods (delivery, pickup and ship-to-home) posted gains in their MAU bases versus last year, and the MAU base for pickup set a record high.
The average number of online grocery orders completed per MAU during October climbed for the 14th consecutive month, but the year over year gain was limited and well under 1%. Order frequency in large metro markets declined versus last year, limiting overall growth, as MAUs in medium metro, small metro, and other areas posted strong gains that ranged from 7% to 15%.
By age group, only the 60+-year-old households increased online grocery ordering activity for October 2025 versus last year; order frequency per MAU declined annually across all the younger age groups.
The combined AOV for delivery and pickup in October 2025 fell by almost 3% year over year as spending per order at supermarkets was essentially unchanged compared to a year ago, according to the survey, and spending at mass posted a mid-single digit drop. Meanwhile, ship-to-home’s AOV rose approximately 5% during the month compared to last year, aided by increased spending rates with mass retailers and Amazon’s pure-play segment, which includes Amazon’s same-day fresh grocery service.
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Online’s share of weekly grocery spending in October 2025 ended the month at 16.3%, climbing 110 bps versus last year. The share expansion was fueled by higher spending rates in medium metro markets as well as predominantly with the youngest age group.
“The October 2025 results are a reminder that online grocery sales growth is not on autopilot,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click. “Customers choose how to receive online grocery purchases based on many factors, including cost and convenience, and the impact of Amazon’s same-day grocery service – which offers customers a lower-cost alternative – is becoming visible.”
Brick Meets Click conducted its most recent survey on Oct. 29-31, 2025, with 1,485 adults who participated in the household’s grocery shopping, and a similar survey in October 2024.
