Delivery Growth Powers 27% Jump in eGrocery Sales in May

U.S. eGrocery sales surged 27% in May 2025 to $8.7 billion, driven by a massive spike in Delivery usage, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey sponsored by Mercatus.

Although monthly totals dipped from April’s $9.9 billion, May’s drop was smaller than historical seasonal trends, highlighting the strength of current consumer demand, especially for Delivery, which more than doubled its share of year-over-year growth.

Delivery Dominates with Deep Discounts and Higher Engagement

Monthly Delivery sales reached $3.9 billion in May, soaring more than 70% from a year ago. According to the report, gains in monthly active users (MAUs), increased order frequency, and larger average order values (AOV) fueled this dramatic growth.

“Delivery’s high growth rate for May is an outlier and reflects the cumulative impact of wave after wave of promotional activity,” said David Bishop, Partner at Brick Meets Click. “While many of these offers appeal to existing users, Walmart has succeeded in using them to acquire new customers too.”

As a result, Delivery’s share of total eGrocery sales climbed 13 points from last year to 45.4%.

In contrast, Pickup sales declined 3.6% year-over-year, landing at $3.2 billion. This drop occurred despite a moderate increase in users, as lower order frequency and shrinking AOV offset the gains. Pickup lost more than 11 percentage points in sales share, finishing May with 37.2%.

Meanwhile, Ship-to-Home rebounded with a 20.7% year-over-year gain to $1.5 billion, aided by price parity with in-store options and free shipping incentives. Yet even with improved frequency and order value, the channel lost 90 basis points in eGrocery sales share, ending at 17.5%.

Related Article: Online Grocery Sales to Grow Five Times Faster Than In-Store

Walmart Gains Momentum Across All Fulfillment Methods

The overall MAU base for eGrocery expanded by more than 10% year-over-year, with Delivery users growing at three times that rate. Walmart led much of this growth, increasing its online customer base for all three methods about 1.5 times faster than the national average.

Order frequency rose over 10% from May 2024 levels, almost entirely driven by Delivery. Pickup saw a decline, while Ship-to-Home recorded modest improvement in eGrocery sales.

Promotional efforts, including exceptionally discounted memberships, played a key role. Over the past 12 months, aggressive campaigns have boosted Delivery usage by incentivizing customers to place more frequent and higher-value orders.

Average Order Values and Repeat Intent Also Rise

The average eGrocery order value across all methods increased by nearly 4% year-over-year. Delivery again led the way, doubling the AOV growth seen by Ship-to-Home. Pickup values dipped slightly.

Importantly, customer satisfaction and repeat intent reached 66.8% in May, up 900 basis points from the previous year. Gains were seen across both new and frequent users, as well as across retail formats including Mass, Grocery, Delivery, and Pickup.

Cross-Shopping with Walmart Presents New Competitive Pressure

The study also revealed a continued rise in cross-shopping. The rate of shoppers using both Grocery and Mass retailers climbed over two points year-over-year to 33.7%. For Grocery and Walmart, that figure jumped over four points to 25%.

“That means one in four households in the Grocery MAU base also ordered groceries online from Walmart last month,” the report stated.

eGrocery Sales Show the Importance of Direct Connections

“These eGrocery sales results show how quickly shopper demand has shifted to Delivery over the last 12 months,” said Mark Fairhurst, Chief Growth Marketing Officer at Mercatus. “The key is ensuring that delivery partnerships strengthen—rather than erode—the retailer’s relationship with its customers.”

Fairhurst emphasized that regional grocers must control their digital platforms, prioritize Pickup’s first-party strengths, and personalize engagement to maintain share in a competitive eGrocery market.

About the Research

The Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopping Survey, sponsored by Mercatus, was conducted May 30–31, 2025.

The nationally representative sample included 1,488 U.S. adults who regularly participate in grocery shopping. Data were weighted by age, income, and internet usage to reflect Census benchmarks and mitigate bias.