Grocery e-commerce: Not just for CPG brands

Learn how any kind of business can grow amid the digital grocery craze

If you’re a food, beverage, or CPG brand, you already know how important it is to reach consumers buying groceries digitally. But are you fully capitalizing on the expansive opportunities this space offers?

A powerful sales converter

Grocery e-commerce isn't just growing—it's transforming the entire digital media playing field.

In fact, EMARKETER projects that digital grocery sales will account for 19% of all US e-commerce sales in 2026, surpassing apparel and accessories as the largest e-commerce category.

But the opportunities here go way beyond last-click and CPG. Dream bigger!

Brands of all types are partnering with grocery retailers to serve their full-funnel marketing objectives; it just takes a bit of creativity (and the right media agency!)

A brand marketer's complete guide to retail media buying for sustained business growth

Beyond the sale, building long-term relationships

Grocery consumers are loyal and consistent, often buying from the same retailer twice per week, so if you invest in building your brand’s equity, you can keep them coming back for years to come. 

McKinsey research confirms this trend, finding that 75% of consumers have maintained the same primary grocery retailer throughout the past decade. This loyalty represents an untapped reservoir of lifetime value for brands that can establish themselves in consumers' regular shopping routines.

Understanding the grocery ecosystem

Food and beverage sales are just one-half of the grocery market. 

In 2024, they will account for 51.9% of digital grocery sales, with remaining sales coming from non-food items (pet food, household cleaning products, personal care products, and other household consumables).

This diversification means brands across multiple categories can benefit from grocery e-commerce strategies.

The National Retail Federation reports that consumers who purchase groceries online spend an average of 44% more annually than in-store-only shoppers, highlighting the value of these digital customers.

And grocery chains offer a growing array of digital advertising and out-of-home opportunities, from in-store audio to in-app ads that can be targeted directly to consumers who frequently buy a competing brand.

Learn how we made Premier Nutrition a winner for Best Retail Media Campaign.

Here are a few research-backed media campaign ideas to get you started:

Grocery e-commerce marketing ideas for brands

Plan for click-and-collect shopping

31% of online shoppers surveyed by the Food Industry Association (FMI) in 2024 preferred to order groceries for curbside pickup, up 4% from 2023, overtaking same-day home delivery. Run brand collabs, sales, or promotions that can be redeemed online on or in-store. 

Exverus Media's multichannel sweepstakes for Stella & Chewy's drove in-store traffic and collected zero-party data via mobile.

Partner directly with retailers, not just third-party delivery apps

While Instacart, UberEats, and other 3P services spiked in popularity during the pandemic, consumers now predominantly place digital orders through the retailers themselves, and that trend is expected to continue through 2026.

Catch consumers during pre-shopping

Pre-shopping includes creating lists, browsing circulars, visiting retailer websites and mobile apps and utilizing social media and other online resources. This planning phase represents a critical window for influencing purchase decisions before consumers even begin adding items to their carts. Notably, Boomers are the most active pre-shoppers, with nearly 60% engaging in pre-shopping.

Our Prime Day media plan won Best Path to Purchase for successfully bridging social media with e-commerce.

Non-endemic advertising is a major growth opportunity

Retailers are seeking ad revenue from brands they don’t carry in stores. If a shopper buys diapers, for instance, there’s a good chance they’ll also be in the market for baby products that a grocery chain doesn’t carry, like baby clothes. Albertson’s has partnered with Rokt to offer shoppers deals on Hulu, Uber, Ticketmaster, and more.

Take advantage of Walmart Connect’s robust offerings

Walmart’s retail media network has built an impressive offering for brands beyond retail-search. It now includes the offsite Walmart DSP in partnership with The Trade Desk, integrations with Social platforms and CTV inventory, Display ads in the shopping app, and data clean rooms for deeper reporting insights. 

Fun fact: Exverus is now a Walmart Connect Premium Partner! This gives us exclusive access to more growth opportunities for our clients.

Let’s learn more about how your audience likes to shop so you’ll be top of their list.