New Ipsos study finds Target leads grocery delivery, while Safeway ranks first for curbside pickup

Ipsos North America today released the 2026 Channel Check-In | Grocery eCommerce Study, revealing Target as the top-performing retailer for grocery delivery and Safeway as the leader in curbside pickup. The study also identifies what drives channel choice, where online grocery experiences lose momentum, and the factors that matter most for shopper satisfaction and loyalty.

Building on multiple years of research, this latest study, sponsored by Storix, combines a survey of 1,236 online grocery shoppers with 1,423 mystery shops conducted through Ipsos’ mystery shopping practice, iShopForIpsos. Together, the research evaluates grocery delivery and curbside pickup experiences across leading U.S. grocery retailers.

The findings show that grocery ecommerce is increasingly connected to the broader retailer relationship. Nearly six in ten online grocery shoppers also shop in-store, making the digital experience an important part of building loyalty across channels. The research also challenges the perception of grocery ecommerce as a lower-spend channel: Among hybrid shoppers, 37% say they spend the same amount online and in-store, while 27% say they spend more online.

Against this backdrop, Target earned the highest overall score for grocery delivery, while Safeway ranked first for curbside pickup, highlighting the importance of strong execution across the digital grocery journey.

The 2026 Channel Check-In | Grocery eCommerce Study includes expanded coverage and channel-specific analysis to provide a deeper look at today’s hybrid grocery shopper and identify opportunities for retailers to strengthen the customer experience.

Key findings include:

• Target and Safeway take the top spots: Target earned the highest overall score for grocery delivery, while Safeway ranked first for curbside pickup.
• Digital experiences shape broader retailer loyalty: 59% of online grocery shoppers also shop in-store, underscoring the importance of delivering a consistent experience across physical and digital channels.
• Price transparency remains a critical challenge: At least one in three consumers would abandon an online order because of unexpected fees or charges at checkout, online prices that are higher than in-store, or fulfillment and delivery fees that are too high.
• The basics win the basket: Across both delivery and curbside pickup, shoppers prioritize order accuracy, item quality, security, transparent pricing and reliable fulfillment above all else.

“As online and in-store shopping become more connected, every interaction has the potential to strengthen or weaken customer loyalty,” said Gary Strutz, Vice President of Strategic Growth with Ipsos’ Channel Performance team. “Accurate orders, transparent pricing and reliable execution remain the biggest drivers of trust and loyalty.”

Brands seeking to understand how the industry performed and what actions they might take to upgrade their offers can schedule a complimentary review of the study results by contacting Gary Strutz at [email protected].