The percentage of consumers buying groceries online jumped significantly from one quarter to the next, according to a new survey.

About 20% of U.S. shoppers bought groceries online in the quarter ending in February, up from 17% in the quarter ending in November 2018, according to the The NPD Group.

“The leading grocery retailers have been playing a game of one-upmanship when it comes to raising the bar on online ordering convenience,” according to the study. “From offering grocery delivery to-your-door to same-day delivery through a variety of service modes, like drive-up pick-up, grocers are making shopping easier and an increasing number of consumers are responding.”

Of those who shop online for groceries from brick and mortar or pure-play online grocers, 16% order their food and beverages for delivery. The option to order online and pick-up in store, also known as click-and-collect or BOPUS (buy online pickup in store) is favored by 11% of online grocery shoppers. Seven percent of these shoppers mix it up and do both, according to NPD.   

“Digital purchasing will accelerate in food retailing, just as it has in other retail sectors where we see much higher rates of online purchases,” says David Portalatin, NPD’s food industry advisor and author of Eating Patterns in America. “Still, the brick and mortar grocery store will always be a necessary means of acquiring foods, especially those where consumers place a premium on their sensory assessment to ensure quality, like meats, fruits and vegetables. This gives forward thinking retailers and their vendor partners an opportunity to truly create an omnichannel experience for the consumer and revolutionize the way we think about grocery merchandising.”