Leading Brands in US Grocery Stores: Q3 2023 Overview

Introduction

In the competitive landscape of US grocery stores, brands such as Kroger, Safeway, and Whole Foods Market continue to capture significant online and app audiences. This article delves into the performance and trends of these brands from Q2 to Q3 2023, using data provided by Sensor Tower's comprehensive suite of insights.

Kroger

Kroger's digital presence is robust, with its website, kroger.com, and the Kroger app leading the charge.

• Audience Trends: Throughout Q3 2023, kroger.com maintained a stable monthly deduplicated audience, hovering around 13M. Notably, the website saw a dip in visits in September, closing the month with over 53M visits. The web-only monthly audience remained consistently above 4M.

• App Engagement: The Kroger app experienced a steady increase in monthly active users, peaking in August with over 1.3M users. This suggests a growing preference for mobile shopping experiences.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Kroger's monthly advertising expenditure was robust, with spends consistently exceeding $8M. The brand effectively utilized OTT (Over-the-top media services) and desktop display channels, generating significant impressions.

Safeway

Safeway's digital strategy is anchored by its website, safeway.com, and the Safeway Deals & Delivery app.

• Audience Trends: Safeway.com witnessed a spike in visits, especially in June with over 19M visits. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable at around 5.6M in September, with a balanced distribution between web and app users.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active users showed a gradual increase, reaching over 1.6M in August, indicating a steady user base.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Safeway's advertising strategy saw increased spending in July and August, with monthly ad spends peaking at over $2.3M. The brand effectively used Facebook and Instagram to reach a wider audience.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market's digital ecosystem includes wholefoodsmarket.com and the Whole Foods Market app.

• Audience Trends: The website's unique visits remained stable, with numbers consistently around 3M. The monthly deduplicated audience was approximately 5.3M by September.

• App Engagement: The Whole Foods Market app had a steady user base, with monthly active users fluctuating slightly around 350K.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Whole Foods Market maintained a consistent monthly ad spend, averaging over $3M. The brand effectively leveraged OTT and Facebook, achieving substantial reach and engagement.

Conclusion

The Q3 2023 analysis reveals that Kroger, Safeway, and Whole Foods Market have maintained strong digital presences, with significant monthly deduplicated audiences across their websites and apps. Sensor Tower's unparalleled data insights have been instrumental in understanding these brands' cross-platform user behaviors. For detailed insights, Sensor Tower's Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics provide invaluable data for industry leaders.