A fresh look at online food delivery and grocery trends

The online food delivery world is experiencing a digital shift, with everyday chores and activities being completed with the help of apps and online platforms.

In our busy day-to-day lives, we’re finding that what used to need getting into a car and driving to a store can now be ordered and paid for through an app with the swipe of a finger. This is especially true with online food delivery and grocery services.

Over the past several years, we’ve seen the rise of options like buy online, pick-up in-store (BOPIS), meal kits, and replacement shopper services that deliver meals and groceries right to our doorsteps.

To help illustrate this new online food delivery-based landscape, we can look at the current state of online grocery shopping.

Online food delivery and grocery trends

Due to increased e-commerce across almost all retail sectors, online food delivery is rapidly increasing for many shoppers and diners across the United States.

  • Online grocery delivery is expected to exceed $257 billion in 2024, thanks to approximately 138 million shoppers and could break $422 billion by 2028.1
  • Modern shoppers say that the number one reason they use online food delivery services is to save time, closely followed by avoiding impulse purchases that occur when shopping in-store. Still, many say they are still open to some products they’ve never tried before when using online grocery delivery.1
  • For online food delivery, U.S. revenue is expected to reach $353 billion in 2024 and could grow to $562 billion by 2029.2
  • User penetration for meal delivery will likely be over 50% in 2024, largely due to the ease of ordering at the click of a button and busy lifestyles.2

Reaching modern shoppers with online food delivery services

Companies must reach shoppers where they are and cater to their preferences. There’s no doubt that online food delivery services are gaining popularity, creating opportunities for the food and grocery sectors to deliver directly to their customers.

Change is never easy — knowing what to invest in, and when, can be challenging when balancing immediate needs and long-term success. As the industry evolves, grocers need commerce solutions that scale and grow with their business. Offering more preferred payment options can help reduce cart abandonment and drive customer conversion, making for happier shoppers using online food delivery and grocery services.

With over 20 years of experience and 25 billion payment transactions processed3, PayPal has the know-how that may help your business thrive. See how PayPal’s flexible stack of payment solutions can help you grow your business and optimize your operations.

A Fresh Look at Online Food Delivery and Grocery Trends (PDF)

A Fresh Look at Online Food Delivery and Grocery Trends (PDF)

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