Video: eGrocery Insights

Here’s the April ‘25 episode of US eGrocery Sales Trends, hosted by Mark Fairhurst, Chief Growth Marketing Officer at Mercatus, and David Bishop, Partner at Brick Meets Click.

Mark and David open the discussion by getting into the data and trends shaping eGrocery sales this past month. Once again, subscriptions and memberships continue to play a dominant role in fueling online grocery growth.

David highlights how the cost and convenience advantages once associated with Pickup have now been transferred to Delivery due to reduced fees powered by aggressive subscription incentives.

As Delivery gains ground, Mark and David explore what this means for Regional Grocers who have heavily invested in Pickup infrastructure. David explains why these grocers shouldn't pivot away from Pickup but rather double down by enhancing fresh food availability and leveraging their physical proximity to customers.

The conversation also takes a closer look at Walmart’s, and specifically Walmart+’s growing influence on consumer behavior.

David reveals that more than 80% of Walmart’s delivery orders are now linked to its Walmart+ membership, and these customers show significantly higher average order values, increased order frequency, and a greater likelihood to repeat purchases.
This data underscores how a well-executed subscription strategy can be a powerful driver of both customer acquisition and long-term loyalty.

Building on that, Mark and David examine whether regional grocers may be overspending on short-term promotions that fail to move the needle. They suggest that grocers shift focus from just attracting trial users to ensuring those first experiences are compelling enough to make the service feel truly valuable.

The episode closes with an important lesson from Walmart’s mobile strategy: unifying the in-store and online experience through a single app can lead to deeper engagement and more opportunities to drive membership sign-ups—even for traditionally in-store shoppers.

Timestamps

00:00 – April Headline: Subscriptions Continue to Fuel Sales

01:40 – The Advantages of Delivery: Cost & Certainty

04:34 – Is Pickup Still Important/Viable?

07:16 – The Walmart+ Impact: Frequency, AOV & Repeat Intent Lift

09:18 – 80%+ of Walmart Delivery Orders Are Tied to a Membership

10:58 – From Free Trials to Deep Discounts: What Changed

12:02 – Are Regional Grocers Overspending on Ineffective Promotions?

12:24 – Membership Shift: From Acquisition to Retention Strategy

14:14 – Big Challenge: Why Awareness Still Lags for Regional Players

15:10 – App Strategy Lessons from Walmart & Target

17:21 – What Regionals Can Learn & Final Thoughts