Grocers are offering more discounts while shoppers are interested in more value, with price as the most important factor in their purchase decision. % of digital sales have gone marginally down while % of in-store sales have marginally gone up.
H1 grocery sales were $458 billion, up 3.8% compared to H1 '23. Digital sales at $61 billion were up 2.4% compared to H1 '23. Prices are high, even as price increases have reduced, and the average digital shopper baskets have dropped.
Prepared food sales have risen, with 63% of grocers noting an increase over the past six months, and 69% of them view their prepared food options as a competitive differentiator. The primary drivers of these purchases are convenience and cost.
Third-party platforms that experienced a meteoric rise in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic have seen their growth stabilize in 2024. This shift is particularly noticeable as grocers increasingly develop their own in-house capabilities.