Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 21.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $9.9bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Meal kits appeal to time poor, environmentally conscious young professionals
- Meal kit providers typically highlight their food's quality and healthiness, with the most well-known companies including HelloFresh and Marleyspoon.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Larger online grocers have the capital to invest in their capabilities and networks
- Online grocers are likely to continue expanding their operations through investment in supply chains and logistics support to improve delivery times and volumes.
Biggest companies in the Online Grocery Sales in Australia
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 |
|---|---|---|
Woolworths | 4,872.7 | |
Coles | 3,028.5 | |
HelloFresh Australia | 498.9 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 6 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Pantry, convenience and frozen foods, Meal kits and Fresh food. Pantry, convenience and frozen foods is the largest segment of the Online Grocery Sales in Australia.
Trends and Insights
Improved delivery times have benefited the purchasing of fresh food online
- The fresh food segment includes, meat, fish, and fresh produce, like vegetables, fruits and nuts.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies in the industry sell grocery items online. Industry participants are either online-only retailers or bricks-and-mortar stores with an online presence. Online sales of beer, spirits and wine are excluded from the industry.
What's included in this industry?
Fresh foodPantry, convenience and frozen foodsBeveragesNon-food productsDairy and eggsDeliveryMeal kitsCompanies
WoolworthsColesHelloFresh AustraliaPurchase this report to view all 6 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
CLICK AND COLLECTDARK STOREORDER FULFILMENTMeal KitsIndustry Code
ANZSIC 4110 - Online Grocery Sales in Australia
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Woolworths and Coles dominate the online grocery market due to their vast supply and distribution networks. Specialised online grocers offering unique products, like meal kit...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
There's been a gradual uptick in online grocery shopping among older generations. Jumpstarted by the pandemic, this trend has increased grocers' revenues.
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Metropolitan areas with high population density allow for faster delivery times. Online stores can weaponise their economies to scale to access a denser market and minimise c...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Online grocery activity is highly concentrated among the two largest chains, Coles and Woolworths. These two companies can leverage extensive supply and distribution networks...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Larger stores, Woolworths and Coles, have weaponised their reach to be early adopters of online grocery services. Their size and market experience has allowed them to capture...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Woolworths's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Coles's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of HelloFresh Australia's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 3 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Woolworths, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Coles, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for HelloFresh Australia, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 3 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Cost of living pressures have dampened consumer sentiment. However, online grocers passing on their own costs has served to raise per-transaction sales revenue, outweighing t...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Increased adoption of online grocery shopping has led to improved profit margins. Pre-pandemic, many online grocers operated at a loss, but profitability has been gradually i...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia in 2024?
The market size of the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia is $9.9bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Online Grocery Sales in Australia industry in 2024?
There are 946 businesses in the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 18.4 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia has been growing at a CAGR of 21.2 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Online Grocery Sales market in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the Online Grocery Sales market in Australia are Woolworths, Coles and HelloFresh Australia
What does the Online Grocery Sales in Australia include?
Fresh food and Pantry, convenience and frozen foods are part of the Online Grocery Sales industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Online Grocery Sales in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in Australia is Woolworths.
How competitive is the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Online Grocery Sales industry in Australia.
Related Industries
Widen your competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Fresh Meat, Fish and Poultry Retailing in Australia
- Fruit and Vegetable Retailing in Australia
Complementors
- Supermarkets and Grocery Stores in Australia
- Online Shopping in Australia
International industries
- Online Grocery Sales in the US
- Supermarkets & Grocery Stores in Canada
- Supermarkets, Grocery Stores and Convenience Stores in New Zealand
- Supermarkets in the UK
- Supermärkte und Discounter
View all industries in Australia
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Australia include:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
