Executive Summary

The click-and-collect method for online shopping boomed in the US last year in parallel with the explosive embrace of ecommerce driven by the pandemic. A handful of major multichannel retailers are leading this continuing trend.

How much of a leap did click and collect make in 2020?

A really big one. US shoppers spent $72.46 billion via click and collect last year, a 106.9% growth rate over 2019. Click and collect leapt from a 5.8% share of all retail ecommerce sales to a 9.1% share. Total buyers jumped from 127.4 million people to 143.8 million people, a 12.9% growth rate.

Will click and collect hold its momentum after the pandemic wanes?

For the most part. Growth will decelerate across the board, but all the gains will hold, and healthy expansion will continue. In 2021, sales will increase by 15.2% in the US, reaching $83.47 billion, and click and collect will account for 9.9% of all retail ecommerce sales. Over 150 million people will make at least one purchase via click and collect this year in the US. Shoppers embraced click and collect for the safety, but they will stay for the convenience.

Which companies are driving this ship?

Walmart, The Home Depot, Best Buy, Target, and Lowe’s accounted for $44.2 billion of the $72.46 billion total for US click and collect last year. Click and collect accounted for 41.9% of combined ecommerce sales at these five companies and an eye-opening 50.2% of their combined 2020 ecommerce growth.

What’s the next big story?

Digital grocery shopping. In 2019, only 39.0% of click-and-collect buyers were using the method to buy groceries. But last year, that share jumped to 58.0%, and it will reach 60.4% by 2022. A total of 88.9 million people will use click and collect to buy groceries in 2021.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report presents our latest click-and-collect forecast for the US, with an emphasis on aggregate sales figures, total buyers, and the major retailers that are driving click-and-collect outcomes.

KEY STAT: Last year, US click-and-collect sales grew by 106.9%. This year, they will grow by another 15.2%, to reach $83.47 billion, representing 9.9% of all retail ecommerce sales.