Placer.ai research indicates that foot traffic in grocery stores is flat year-over-year, which might be surprising to most people. However, total grocery sales increased by 43 percent in the last year with online sales accounting for the majority of the increase, as curbside pick-up and home delivery transactions soared from $4 billion to $7.1 billion.

“Locally in the Pacific Northwest, we are seeing brands such as Fred Meyer waiving the initial $5 fee for orders of $35 or more on curbside service, increasing popularity and accessibility,” says Karen BuSteed, JLL senior vice president. “National and local brands are implementing subscription services that provide consumers with additional ways to do their grocery shopping, including free curbside pick-up and home delivery, along with other benefits. Even as we see relief from COVID restrictions and people are feeling freer to go about their business as in days past, we believe this is a lasting trend of convenience that will continue to shape the way people grocery shop into the future. Online sales are here to stay.”