Online Services Gain Produce Sales; Grocers Still Lead

More and more consumers are buying produce through online services, but most purchases are still being made at brick-and-mortar retailers, said speakers at United Fresh 2014 in Chicago, according to Supermarket News.

“Online produce purchases are still not making a significant dent in the overall marketplace. It’s very attractive, but won’t overwhelm brick-and-mortar soon,” said Randy Burt, principal at A.T. Kearney, a management consulting firm based in Chicago.

Burt was joined by Tony Stallone, vice president of merchandizing and food safety at Peapod in a session called Online Produce Sales: A Permanent Trend or a Temporary Fad?

The online purchase of produce, and food in general, may not have yet taken off in the United States, but brick-and-mortar retailers shouldn’t get too complacent, said Stallone. Peapod had double-digit sales growth in 2013, while sales at conventional grocery stores grew by no more than 2 percent. Produce is the fastest growing online sales category, he said.

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