Fresh produce, once considered a major hurdle for online grocery shopping due to concerns about freshness, damage, and letting someone else select fruits and vegetables, is now emerging as a key driver of e-commerce grocery purchases. According to a new study from Fusion, a business-to-business marketing agency specializing in the fresh produce and grocery retail industries, 62% of online grocery shoppers say fresh produce is a leading reason they shop for groceries online. This finding challenges the long-held perception of produce as one of e-commerce's most difficult categories and suggests that the industry's efforts to improve the online experience are paying off.
The shift comes as online grocery continues to expand rapidly. U.S. online grocery sales grew 21.5% year over year in July 2026, according to Brick Meets Click. E-grocery sales are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% through 2029, when online is projected to account for 17% of total U.S. grocery sales. As the channel grows, Fusion's research found that 97% of online grocery shoppers usually include fresh produce in their orders, indicating that produce has moved from an occasional add-on to a mainstay of the digital cart. This integration of fresh produce into online shopping represents a fundamental change in consumer behavior and has significant implications for retailers, produce brands, and commodity boards.
Trust has traditionally been one of the biggest barriers to purchasing fresh produce online. While those concerns have not disappeared, confidence appears to be improving. The study found that confidence in buying fresh produce online has increased for 65% of respondents. Satisfaction is also high, with 92% saying they are mostly or completely satisfied with the fresh produce they receive in their online orders. "Shoppers are telling us they no longer see fresh produce as a liability online, and retailers who invest in packaging and transparency are the ones earning that trust," said Matt Schraut, vice president of analytics and client services at Fusion.
Convenience helps explain the appeal, with 56% saying buying fresh produce online saves them time and 54% finding it more convenient than shopping in-store. The experience is also increasingly mobile: more than 90% of respondents said they place their online grocery orders using their phones. That mobile-first behavior has put greater importance on strong product imagery, clear descriptions, freshness information, and easy-to-understand substitution options that help shoppers evaluate quality without seeing the product in person. For the produce industry, these findings point to tangible opportunities to strengthen the online experience through packaging designed for delivery, clear quality guarantees, and digital merchandising that helps shoppers evaluate products without seeing them in person.
Packaging emerged as the leading opportunity identified in Fusion's research. Packaging that keeps produce fresh longer would increase confidence for 45% of respondents, while 43% pointed to packaging that protects fruits and vegetables from bruising or damage during delivery. Quality assurances can provide another layer of confidence: a clear freshness guarantee or refund policy would make 42% of respondents more confident purchasing fresh produce online. These insights suggest that investing in packaging innovation and transparent policies can directly address consumer concerns and further accelerate the adoption of online produce shopping.
Retailers are already investing heavily in fresh grocery delivery. Amazon, for example, has expanded Same-Day Delivery of fresh groceries to more than 2,300 U.S. cities and towns. In markets where the service is available, perishables now account for nine of the 10 most-ordered Same-Day Delivery items, with bananas, avocados, and blueberries among the most popular. This retail investment underscores the growing importance of fresh produce in the online grocery landscape and reinforces the need for produce brands and retailers to adapt their strategies.
As more grocery trips move between physical and digital channels, produce brands, commodity boards, and retailers need to consider how shoppers evaluate freshness, quality, and value when they cannot see or touch the product. Fresh produce helped define the traditional grocery perimeter. As online grocery continues to grow, the industry has an opportunity to make produce just as important to the digital grocery experience. The findings from Fusion's Online Produce Shopping study highlight that the shift is already underway, and those who invest in packaging, transparency, and digital merchandising will be best positioned to capture this growing demand.
