Research: Food & beverage represents less than 3% of U.S. retail e-commerce sales
The general food and beverage category (which includes non-perishables) is one of the most underpenetrated within the U.S. e-commerce market.
Grocery apps are some of the fastest-growing apps in the United States, according to an app usage forecast released by eMarketer, New York. This year, 18 million U.S. adults will use a grocery app at least once a month, up 49.6% over last year. For this forecast, the study looked at apps that primarily deliver produce and perishable items, including meal kit services. By next year, more than one in five adult smartphone e-commerce buyers will use a grocery app to order food.
“Shoppers are becoming more comfortable with ordering online in general, and grocery is a part of that,” says Patricia Orsini, senior analyst. “A key hurdle, traditionally, for ordering fresh produce and other perishable items online has been delivery time and the desire to hand-select produce and meat. Retailers have been able to transcend these barriers with click-and-collect models of delivery—order online, pick up in-store. And, if the shopper is ordering from their regular grocery store, familiarity helps them trust that the products will be of the quality they expect. A bad experience, however, could turn consumers off for good, so retailers need to ensure they provide a good experience from Day 1.”