Contents
- Grocery e commerce participation statistics: U.S. online grocery participation
- Grocery e commerce participation statistics by age and gender
- Grocery e commerce participation statistics by household and race
- Grocery e commerce participation statistics by education and SNAP status
- grocery e commerce participation: Online grocery ordering frequency and fulfillment
- grocery e commerce participation: Reasons shoppers choose online grocery ordering
- grocery e commerce participation: Why nonparticipants shop for groceries in person
- Sources
Grocery e commerce participation statistics: U.S. online grocery participation
Online grocery participation depends on the measure and period. The USDA’s 2022 estimate counts grocery shoppers aged 15 and older who made at least 1 online grocery purchase in the previous 30 days. By that definition, 19.3% participated. Gallup asked U.S. adults whether they had ever ordered groceries online: its report says that measure reached 41% in 2022 and remained at 41% in its 2026 survey. These percentages describe different things. A past-month purchase is recent activity; “ever ordered” includes anyone with prior experience, even if they do not order now. USDA Economic Research Service, Who Shops for Groceries Online? (2024); Gallup, More Ordering Groceries Online; Fewer Dining Out (October 21, 2026)
| Measure | Population and period | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bought groceries online at least once | U.S. grocery shoppers aged 15+, previous 30 days, 2022 | 19.3% |
| Ever ordered groceries online | U.S. adults, Gallup 2022 reading | 41% |
| Ever ordered groceries online | U.S. adults, Gallup 2026 reading | 41% |
Sources: USDA ERS report, p. 8; Gallup.
These figures should not be read as a continuous series: the USDA observation uses a recent 30-day window and a grocery-shopper population aged 15 and older, while Gallup’s ever-order measure covers U.S. adults. The definitions explain why the values differ without implying a contradiction. A shopper can have ordered online at some point and still report no order during a particular month. The dates also matter: the USDA value is from 2022, while Gallup’s report was published in October 2026 and includes a July 2026 survey reading.
A separate Gallup measure asks how often U.S. adults order groceries online. At least-weekly ordering was reported by 4% in 2019 and 15% in 2026. This frequency measure captures a narrower behavior than ever ordering: it identifies people who place orders regularly, rather than everyone who has tried the channel. Gallup, Online Grocery Shopping Frequency table
Grocery e commerce participation statistics by age and gender
Age differences appear in USDA’s combined 2022–2023 model estimates. The estimated share buying groceries online at least once in the past 30 days was 26% for grocery shoppers aged 15–24, 24% for those aged 25–54, and 12% for those aged 55 and older. All three figures concern the same stated behavior and combined period, and the age bands are the report’s categories. They describe differences between groups, not how an individual’s behavior changes as they age. USDA ERS Amber Waves, Online Grocery Shopping Participation Varied by Sociodemographic Group in 2022 and 2023
| Age group | Estimated participation, 2022–2023 |
|---|---|
| 15–24 | 26% |
| 25–54 | 24% |
| 55 and older | 12% |
Source: USDA ERS Amber Waves.
The 2022 USDA report provides a separate past-month snapshot by gender: 21.9% of women grocery shoppers aged 15 and older and 16.4% of men did at least 1 online grocery shop in the prior month. The combined 2022–2023 model estimates are 22% for women and 16% for men. The estimates are close in direction, but they come from different reporting periods and methods; the model estimates should not be presented as a direct update of the 2022 survey percentages. USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9; USDA ERS Amber Waves
The 2022 figures are 21.9% for women and 16.4% for men among grocery shoppers aged 15 and older who bought online at least once in the past month. For the 2022–2023 period, USDA’s model estimates are 22% for women and 16% for men buying at least once in the past 30 days. Keeping each pair tied to its own period avoids treating rounded model estimates and survey prevalence as interchangeable. USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9; USDA ERS Amber Waves
Grocery e commerce participation statistics by household and race
Household composition shows a modest difference in the 2022 report. Among grocery shoppers aged 15 and older, 27.0% of those with a spouse or partner present purchased groceries online in the past month, compared with 21.3% of those without a spouse or partner present. The report’s categories describe whether a spouse or partner was present in the household; they do not indicate whether the person shopping placed the order for another household member. USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9
The same 2022 figure reports 21.9% participation among shoppers in households with children under 18 and 21.3% among those in households with no children. USDA’s separate 2022–2023 model estimates show 23% for shoppers living with children under 18 and 18% for those without children. These are different estimates for different periods, so each pair is best read within its own source. USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9; USDA ERS Amber Waves
| Household measure | 2022 past-month participation | 2022–2023 estimated participation |
|---|---|---|
| Children under 18 present | 21.9% | 23% |
| No children | 21.3% | 18% |
Sources: USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9; USDA ERS Amber Waves. The columns use different periods and methods.
The report’s 2022 race and ethnicity categories also vary. Past-month online purchasing was reported by 27.0% of non-Hispanic White grocery shoppers, 16.3% of Hispanic shoppers, 16.4% of non-Hispanic Black shoppers, and 16.9% of shoppers categorized as non-Hispanic other. These are survey estimates for shoppers aged 15 and older, not all residents in each group. USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9
For 2022–2023, the ERS model estimates participation at 21% among non-Hispanic White shoppers, 17% among Hispanic shoppers, 18% among non-Hispanic Black shoppers, and 16% among shoppers of other non-Hispanic racial backgrounds. The categories and figures are reported as estimated likelihoods for online grocery shopping at least once in the past 30 days. USDA ERS Amber Waves
Grocery e commerce participation statistics by education and SNAP status
In the USDA report’s 2022 past-month figures, participation rises across the listed education categories: 8.6% for shoppers with less than a high school education, 14.0% for a high school diploma or GED, 19.4% for some college or an associate’s degree, 23.6% for a bachelor’s degree, and 28.9% for more than a bachelor’s degree. These estimates cover U.S. grocery shoppers aged 15 and older. USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9
The 2022–2023 model estimates use slightly different education labels and rounded values. They place participation at 10% among people who had not finished high school, 15% among high school diploma or GED holders, 21% among people with some college or an associate’s degree, 22% among those with a bachelor’s degree, and 26% among those with advanced degrees. Both sources show the same broad ordering across education categories, while the periods, methods, and some category labels differ. USDA ERS Amber Waves
| Education category | 2022 past-month participation | 2022–2023 estimated participation |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school / not finished high school | 8.6% | 10% |
| High school diploma or GED | 14.0% | 15% |
| Some college or associate’s degree | 19.4% | 21% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 23.6% | 22% |
| More than bachelor’s / advanced degree | 28.9% | 26% |
Sources: USDA ERS report, Figure 1, p. 9; USDA ERS Amber Waves. Category wording varies slightly between reports; estimates are not a single harmonized time series.
The 2022–2023 Amber Waves analysis also reports estimates by SNAP status. Online grocery participation was estimated at 20% among SNAP participants, 16% among income-eligible SNAP nonparticipants, and 20% among SNAP nonparticipants whose income was above 200% of the Federal poverty line. The article says the SNAP-participant estimate was statistically indistinguishable from the estimate for the income-ineligible nonparticipant group. This is a comparison the source reports; it does not establish why people did or did not participate. USDA ERS Amber Waves
grocery e commerce participation: Online grocery ordering frequency and fulfillment
The 2022 USDA report separates how many purchases shoppers made from whether they participated at all. Among people who had shopped for groceries online in the previous month, the average was 2.8 online purchases during that month. Within this group, shoppers with children under 18 averaged 3.2 purchases, while online shoppers whose terminal education was below a high school diploma or GED averaged 2.0. These are conditional averages among online shoppers, not averages for all grocery shoppers. USDA ERS report, pp. 9–10
The same report describes fulfillment among respondents who shopped online in the past month: 49.1% usually picked up their groceries, 48.7% usually had them delivered, and 2.3% evenly split receipt between pickup and delivery. These reported modes are close in share, with a small group describing an even split. The figures concern the respondents’ usual method, not a count of orders completed by each method. USDA ERS report, p. 10, Figure 3 discussion
Gallup’s July 1–19, 2026 survey gives frequency categories for U.S. adults. At least-weekly ordering was reported by 15%, ordering once or twice a month by 15%, and ordering less than monthly by 11%. These are separate response categories; the figures do not represent fulfillment method or the share who ever tried online grocery ordering. The corresponding at-least-weekly measure was 4% in 2019. Gallup, Online Grocery Shopping Frequency table
grocery e commerce participation: Reasons shoppers choose online grocery ordering
USDA’s 2022 report asked online grocery shoppers for their main reason for choosing the channel. Time constraints led the listed reasons, cited by 40.5%. Product-related reasons were the main motivation for 16.6%; that grouping includes price, easier comparison of prices across stores, specialty foods, product variety, and product quality. Convenience was the main reason for 10.6%, while safety concerns about in-person shopping were cited by 10.4%. USDA ERS report, Figure 4 and p. 11
Store-access reasons were the main motivation for 7.1% of online shoppers. The report groups transportation limitations, disability or physical limitation, and childcare issues under store access. Price by itself was the main reason for 6.0%. The product-related grouping and the separate price figure refer to the report’s reason categories; the 16.6% grouping includes several product considerations, so it should not be treated as an additional price-only share. USDA ERS report, Figure 4 and p. 11
| Main reason for ordering online | Share of 2022 online grocery shoppers |
|---|---|
| Time constraints | 40.5% |
| Product-related reasons | 16.6% |
| Convenience | 10.6% |
| Safety concerns | 10.4% |
| Store-access reasons | 7.1% |
| Price | 6.0% |
Source: USDA ERS report, Figure 4 and p. 11. Respondents selected a main reason; product-related and store-access categories combine multiple considerations.
These results describe the reason selected as primary, not every benefit a shopper may perceive. A person who chose time constraints might also value convenience, while a person naming product-related factors could have more than one consideration within that group. The figures therefore summarize leading reported motivations rather than ranking all possible influences on every order.
grocery e commerce participation: Why nonparticipants shop for groceries in person
Among nononline grocery shoppers in the 2022 USDA survey, the leading reason listed was a preference for seeing and touching products in person, reported by 47.4%. This finding points to a preference among the surveyed nonparticipants, not a general claim about all grocery shoppers or a measured assessment of online product quality. USDA ERS report, p. 6 and Figure 5
Other reported barriers were much smaller: 5.2% said they lacked access to the technology needed to place an online grocery order, and 4.3% cited higher prices online as their main reason for not buying groceries online. These are main-reason responses from nononline shoppers in 2022. They do not indicate how many shoppers encountered each issue in addition to their selected primary reason. USDA ERS report, p. 6 and Figure 5
The nonparticipant responses add context to participation and ordering-frequency figures: some people report online activity, while others remain outside the channel for reasons tied to product inspection, technology access, or price. Across the measures, the source populations and definitions remain important. The 2022 USDA report counts recent purchase behavior among grocery shoppers aged 15 and older; its frequency, fulfillment, and motivation results describe online shoppers, while its in-person reasons concern nononline shoppers. The 2022–2023 USDA figures are model estimates, and Gallup’s 2026 findings describe U.S. adults under its survey questions. Read within those boundaries, the statistics show several distinct dimensions of grocery e commerce participation without conflating trial, recent activity, frequency, and reasons.