U.S. online grocery sales sustained “turbo-charged growth” in March, according to data from the monthly Brick Meets Click and Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey.

The companies said March online grocery sales growth reflects “the ongoing impact of aggressive promotions and deep discounts on annual memberships and/or subscriptions that began around May 2024.”

They also shared insights into the growth of the online grocery sales industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, they said, the pandemic motivated more households to try online grocery shopping. The share of U.S. households buying groceries online jumped to 61% in February 2025, their data shows — from 57% in March 2020 and under 25% before the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2025, 57% of households bought groceries online.

How the COVID-19 pandemic surged online grocery sales

March marked five years since the U.S. declared COVID-19 a pandemic. That declaration “produced a rapid and profound impact on how U.S. households purchased their groceries,” the companies said. Their data shows online grocery sales in August 2019 totaling $2.0 billion. In March 2020, that “skyrocketed” more than 200% to $6.5 billion, they said. Additionally, that initial surge accounted for about 60% of the total online grocery segment’s gains since the pandemic, they said.

The companies said total online grocery sales “rebalanced” through mid-2024 after peaking in early 2021, contributing to another 20% in overall gains. Since then, there has been another 20% in sales gains from the above-mentioned subscription and membership promotions. March 2025 marks the eighth straight month in which online grocery sales topped $9.5 billion, according to their data.

“Customer expectations around online grocery have only increased since COVID-19 pushed many to give it a try,” said Mark Fairhurst, chief growth marketing officer at Mercatus, in a statement. “Retailers that elevate the experience with relevant offers and meaningful rewards won’t just meet shoppers’ evolving needs — they’ll build stronger connections that fuel long-term growth.”

Brick Meets Click and Mercatus define the three receiving methods for online grocery sales as:

• Delivery: Includes orders received from a first- or third-party provider like Instacart, Shipt or the retailer’s own employees.
• Pickup: Includes orders received by customers either inside or outside a store or at a designated location/locker.
• Ship-to-home: Includes orders that consumers receive via common or contract carriers like FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.

March online grocery sales by receiving method

The pandemic also shifted consumer demand by way of which receiving methods they choose, Brick Meets Click and Mercatus said. Pre-pandemic, Ship-to-Home captured 42% of all online grocery sales in the U.S. In March 2025, it accounted for about 18%.

Simultaneously, both Deliver and Pickup increased their shares of online sales. Delivery grew to 43% of all online grocery sales in 2025, from 26% in 2019. Similarly, Pickup grew to 39% from 32%.

More households now are also more likely use multiple receiving methods, the companies said. Pre-pandemic, they said, 85% of monthly active users (MAUs) would only use one method for their online grocery orders. Since March 2020, that has dropped to about 70%.

Brick Meets Click and Mercatus also highlighted changes in consumer demand over the past five years for each of the receiving methods.

“Ship-to-Home’s utility was most pronounced in 2020,” they said, as lockdowns and shopping restrictions drove demand, which has since waned. Pickup sales growth stalled in 2021 as increased access to Delivery led to more MAUs. Delivery’s initial pandemic-induced growth extended through 2022, they said, until “persistently high inflation drove a contraction” that ended in mid-2024.

Both Pickup and Delivery’s growth resumed in 2025 as a result of membership and subscription promotions, they said.

“Delivery’s remarkable year-over-year rebound highlights the potency of promotional strategies that help customers save more money,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click, in a statement. “And, memberships/subscriptions are becoming essential for retaining customers and driving more recurring revenue via gains in order frequency and average order values.”

Click here to read last month’s update on online grocery sales.

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