What's next for Grocery eCommerce in 2022?

By Sylvain Perrier, President and CEO, Mercatus

Grocery eCommerce has exploded over the past two years thanks in part to broad shifts in consumer habits shaped and accelerated by the pandemic. What was once a small stream of revenue for grocers has now grown to the point that it cannot be ignored.

Online grocery sales are expected to increase and are projected to account for 11% of total grocery sales in the U.S, in 2022, according to Mercatus' annual Shopper Survey Report, conducted in collaboration with research firm Incisiv.

Booming sales within the marketplace doesn't just mean grocery retailers can sit back and relax. The acceleration in online sales means grocers need to make sure they've not only invested in their future, but they're anticipating challenges and planning for how to make their next move in the year ahead.

Many grocery retailers spent the last year playing catch up trying to accommodate the growing demand for grocery eCommerce experiences. In 2022, savvy grocery retailers will take further control of their digital experiences, renegotiating contracts with marketplaces and favoring a grocery eCommerce platform that they own and control as the consumer’s primary experience.

In the coming year, grocery retailers will be looking to strengthen their omnichannel presence, but there needs to be the understanding that their online experience can be something very different than the in-store experience. Retailers who understand that grocery eCommerce sales are driven by convenience will realize that they don't need to keep offering parity with in-store prices.

Despite the current rise in COVID cases around the world, workforce levels and supply chain issues are expected to resolve this year. Grocery retailers will see a renewed sense of supply chain management efficiency, which will positively impact the grocery eCommerce experience overall.

Grocery retailers who delayed investing in eCommerce, thinking they didn't have the time or wherewithal to operate their own services, don't have the luxury of waiting anymore. In 2022, consumers rely on these services and have come to expect them. In the coming year, more retailers will recognize the need to take charge of their own online grocery websites and experiences and roll out strategies that build lasting customer loyalty.