E-commerce's share of FMCG sales varies widely between countries. For most countries, online channels are a new and fast-growing sales model. As the chart below shows, South Korea leads the way in terms of online share of FMCG sales, followed by Italy, Germany and the US.
While America's big-box grocery stores are known for their convenience and one-stop service, they are a late starter when it comes to e-commerce in the grocery space. However, the average online shopping value of individuals in the US is on the Buy email list rise, and online channels are expected to flourish in the US market. According to the survey data, the vast majority of American consumers have so far only purchased certain products through online grocery platforms, but will not visit big brand online stores for daily shopping. According to a survey conducted by research firm Brick MeetsClick in the fourth quarter of 2015, only 15% of respondents shop at online stores of major grocery brands. Nonetheless, we expect new moves by mass-market retailers to change this consumer behavior, making online shopping not only more routine, but also the value of purchases.
As the offline market leaders in the U.S., Walmart and Kroger continue to expand their "order online, get offline" service points. In response to this challenge, AmazonFresh will lower prices on its service and will launch drive-thru stores in 2017 to stay competitive. FreshDirect is expanding the reach of its one-hour delivery service, and Ahold Delhaize has set a goal of expanding the reach of its Peapod business. Meanwhile, several retailers including Whole Foods Market, Target and Publix are using or testing Instacart's delivery service.