Online Grocery Delivery Services Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Online Grocery Delivery Services Market is projected to experience substantial growth, rising from USD 391.59 Billion in 2025 to USD 1.51 trillion by 2031, reflecting a CAGR of 25.26%. This industry comprises digital platforms and logistics networks that facilitate the direct home delivery of household essentials and perishable food products. The sector is largely driven by increasing internet accessibility and rapid urbanization, which have generated a demand for efficient time management solutions among working professionals. Furthermore, a fundamental transformation in consumer behavior favoring convenience, alongside the integration of automated logistics systems, continues to support the sustained expansion of digital food retailing.

However, the high operational costs linked to last-mile delivery act as a significant obstacle to profitability. The complex necessity of preserving cold chain integrity during transport adds further financial pressure on service providers. Data from the Food Industry Association indicates that online transactions accounted for 7.1% of all grocery sales in 2024. This figure underscores the sector's status as a growing yet maturing market, where retailers must navigate the delicate balance between increasing consumer adoption and managing the expensive logistics required for fulfillment.

Market Drivers

The digital transformation and omnichannel strategies adopted by traditional retailers serve as a primary driving force in the global online grocery sector, fundamentally reshaping how established players compete. By incorporating artificial intelligence and automating logistics, brick-and-mortar giants are effectively bridging the gap between physical presence and digital convenience to optimize last-mile fulfillment. This strategic shift enables retailers to utilize existing store networks as distribution hubs, significantly reducing delivery times and operational costs compared to pure-play models. Recent financial results highlight the success of this approach; for example, Walmart Inc.'s 'First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Earnings Release' in May 2024 reported a 21% increase in global e-commerce sales, driven largely by store-fulfilled pickup and delivery capabilities, demonstrating how such integration retains current customers while attracting digital-native shoppers.

A second critical driver is the emergence and expansion of Quick Commerce (Q-commerce) business models, which are altering consumer expectations regarding speed and accessibility. This model employs hyper-local dark stores to deliver small batches of household essentials within minutes, catering specifically to impulse purchases and urgent needs in densely populated urban centers.

The rapid growth of this segment indicates a distinct shift toward instant gratification over planned bulk buying. To illustrate this trend, Zomato Limited’s 'Shareholders Letter and Results for Q4FY24' in May 2024 revealed that its quick commerce division, Blinkit, recorded 97% year-over-year growth in Gross Order Value. This surge contributes to the broader momentum of the delivery economy, with Uber Technologies, Inc. reporting an 18% year-over-year growth in delivery gross bookings during the first quarter of 2024, underscoring the robust demand for these services.

Market Challenges

The substantial operational costs associated with last-mile delivery represent a significant impediment to the financial viability of the Global Online Grocery Delivery Services Market. Unlike non-perishable e-commerce, digital food retailing demands specialized cold chain logistics to preserve product quality from the warehouse to the consumer. This requirement for temperature-controlled vehicles and insulated packaging dramatically raises the cost per shipment, effectively eroding the thin profit margins typical of the grocery sector. Additionally, the logistical complexity of coordinating timely deliveries compels service providers to invest heavily in extensive fleet management and labor resources, creating a capital-intensive business model that is challenging to scale efficiently.

These financial burdens directly hinder market growth by limiting the ability of retailers to expand their service areas or maintain competitive pricing structures. To protect profitability, companies often transfer costs to consumers through delivery fees, which can discourage adoption among price-sensitive demographics. According to the National Grocers Association, labor and benefit costs for independent grocers reached a record 16.3% of net sales in 2025, highlighting the intensifying expense of maintaining the workforce required for fulfillment and delivery operations. This elevated cost structure forces retailers to focus on density over coverage, thereby slowing the broader penetration of online grocery services into new or less urbanized regions.

Market Trends

The implementation of Sustainable and Green Last-Mile Delivery is emerging as a defining trend as regulatory frameworks and consumer demand compel retailers to decarbonize their logistics networks. Service providers are increasingly replacing fossil-fuel vehicles with electric fleets to mitigate the environmental impact of frequent, low-volume urban deliveries while simultaneously insulating operations from volatile fuel prices. This transition involves significant infrastructure investment but offers long-term operational resilience and brand differentiation in a crowded market. For instance, Tesco PLC announced in its October 2025 press release, 'Tesco motors towards 1,000th electric home delivery van milestone,' that the retailer has expanded its UK electric home delivery fleet to 1,000 vehicles, keeping it on track to operate 1,250 electric vans by Spring 2026 as part of its commitment to carbon neutrality.

Furthermore, the adoption of Subscription-Based Loyalty Programs represents a strategic pivot from aggressive user acquisition to maximizing customer lifetime value and retention. By offering benefits such as waived delivery fees, reduced service charges, and exclusive discounts in exchange for a recurring fee, platforms effectively lock in consumers and incentivize higher order frequencies compared to non-subscribers. This model stabilizes revenue streams against demand fluctuations and provides rich data for targeted upselling, which is crucial for profitability in low-margin food retailing. As reported by Grocery Dive in a February 2025 article titled 'Instacart reports mixed Q4 results as it misses Wall Street estimates,' Instacart achieved a 10% year-over-year increase in Gross Transaction Value to $33.5 billion for fiscal 2024, a performance attributed significantly to the rapid growth and deepening penetration of its Instacart+ membership base.

Key Players Profiled in the Online Grocery Delivery Services Market

• Tesco PLC
• Innovative Retail Concepts Private Limited
• AEON Co. Ltd.
• Amazon.com Inc.
• Blink Commerce Private Limited
• Alibaba.com
• Natures Basket Limited
• JD.com Inc.
• Maplebear Canada Inc.
• Reliance Retail Limited

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Online Grocery Delivery Services Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Online Grocery Delivery Services Market, by Type:

• Breakfast & Dairy Products
• Fresh Produce
• Snacks & Beverages
• Meat & Seafood
• Staples & Cooking Essentials
• Others

Online Grocery Delivery Services Market, by End User:

• Individuals
• Others

Online Grocery Delivery Services Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Online Grocery Delivery Services Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.