The news: US online grocery sales soared 32% YoY in December to $12.7 billion, per Brick Meets Click’s Grocery Shopper Survey. That pushed online grocery’s share of total grocery spending to 19%, the highest share since May 2020.

The details: The online grocery user base grew about 10% YoY in December, per Brick Meets Click.

• Online grocery shoppers are also ordering more often; the average number of orders completed by monthly active users rose 8% to 2.9, the 16th straight month of positive gains.
• The share gains were driven by higher YoY spending across every age group and market size.

The rise in order frequency suggests online grocery is becoming more habitual and less seasonal or weather-driven. That stems in part from the continued growth of Walmart+, which offers free grocery delivery, as well as Amazon’s push to expand same-day delivery for fresh groceries. That service lets shoppers add perishables to regular orders and receive everything within hours, supported by temperature-controlled facilities, insulated packaging, and quality checks.

Implications for retailers: Online grocery has become deeply embedded in many consumers’ routines.

• While convenience remains the primary draw, price sensitivity hasn’t gone away. Brick Meets Click data shows delivery, pickup, and ship-to-home all grew in December, with ship-to-home leading with 14% growth, driven largely by Amazon’s same-day grocery push. The ability to bundle groceries with other purchases—without a required delivery tip that is common with many grocery delivery services—may give Amazon an edge as shoppers scrutinize incremental costs.