Interested in some online shopping stats that will blow your mind? In the U.S., there will be a projected $370 billion spent on online shopping by 2017, which is up from $231 billion in 2012. Millenials lead the pack with price comparison, researching reviews and purchasing products online, but did you know half of them regularly window shop online? And adults over the age of 50 actually make up the largest segment of Internet users. Across the board, 83 percent of consumers are satisfied with online shopping and are looking for the flexibility and variety offered.

So how does that apply to supermarkets? Grocery shopping online is not a fresh idea. Some say the idea has been around as long as the Internet. What’s newer though is the drive-thru grocery store and it’s being tested right here in the U.S.

Some supermarkets in Europe have seen success with the model and now Walmart is one of the first industry giants to test it out in America. Walmart’s world headquarters are in Northwest Arkansas and they’ve launched a test center for a click-and-collect. The click-and-collect model removes the delivery from the transaction. Shoppers go online and place their order, and then stop by the store at a drive-thru to pick it up. Purchases can be retrieved in as little as two hours or placed ahead as far out as three weeks.

What makes this trend different, and perhaps better, than online grocery shopping is the savings in both delivery and membership fees. Delivery is the largest driver for increasing costs of online grocery shopping. Oftentimes a minimum purchase amount is required to keep costs down as well. Some memberships have been known to have as high as a $299 annual fee (ahem, AmazonFresh) with services only offered in certain cities (ahem, not Fort Wayne, Indiana).

Whether the customer wants groceries delivered or is willing to click-and-collect, one thing’s sure: the supermarket landscape is changing. If you’re looking to keep your seat at the table for this and other trends in the food and beverage industry, give us a shout. We can help.