Leading Grocery Brands in Q4 2023: A Sensor Tower Analysis

Introduction

In the dynamic world of grocery retail, digital presence plays a pivotal role in engaging customers. In Q4 2023, leading brands like Kroger, Whole Foods Market, and Publix Super Markets have shown significant digital engagement across websites and apps. This analysis, powered by Sensor Tower's comprehensive data, highlights their performance trends, audience reach, and advertising strategies from Q3 to Q4 2023.

Kroger

Kroger is a well-established name in the grocery industry, known for its extensive range of products and strong community presence. Its digital ecosystem includes its website, kroger.com, and the Kroger app.

• Audience Trends: The website maintained a stable monthly visit count, with a slight dip in October but recovering to over 59M visits in December. The monthly deduplicated audience grew steadily, surpassing 14M by December. The web audience remained larger than the app audience, highlighting a web-dominant presence.

• App Engagement: The Kroger app saw a gradual increase in monthly active users, reaching over 1.3M by December, indicating a consistent user base growth.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Kroger significantly increased monthly ad spending in Q4, with December seeing an expenditure of approximately $13M. The primary channels included Facebook and OTT, with Facebook delivering the highest impressions.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market is renowned for its commitment to organic and high-quality products. It connects with users through wholefoodsmarket.com and the Whole Foods Market app.

• Audience Trends: The website experienced a notable spike in visits in November, reaching nearly 19M. The monthly deduplicated audience also peaked in November at over 6M, with a balanced web and app audience distribution.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active user count remained stable, hovering around 350K, reflecting consistent engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Whole Foods Market's ad spend saw an increase towards the end of the year, with December reaching nearly $4.9M. The primary advertising channels were Facebook and OTT, with OTT delivering substantial impressions.

Publix Super Markets

Publix Super Markets is a beloved regional brand known for exceptional customer service and community involvement. It engages its audience through publix.com and the Publix app.

• Audience Trends: The website visits remained strong, with a peak in November at over 35M. The monthly deduplicated audience was consistent, maintaining around 5.5M by December, with a strong web presence.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active user base grew steadily, surpassing 540K by December, suggesting increasing mobile engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Publix's monthly ad spend was robust, with a significant push in October reaching over $4.3M. Facebook and OTT were key channels, with Facebook providing the highest reach.

Conclusion

In Q4 2023, Kroger, Whole Foods Market, and Publix Super Markets demonstrated strong digital engagement, leveraging both web and app platforms. Sensor Tower's unique cross-platform insights reveal their strategic focus on both audience growth and advertising effectiveness. These brands continue to lead the grocery sector by effectively harnessing digital channels, supported by Sensor Tower's unparalleled data insights.

For more detailed insights, explore Sensor Tower's Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics.