How To Find the Best Grocery E-Commerce Platform [+ 5 Top Options]

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More shoppers are turning to online grocery shopping than ever before — and not just from national chains, but from independent and local grocers, too.

At the same time, selling perishable items, managing inventory, and fulfilling online orders can strain generic e-commerce tools that aren’t well-suited to grocery operations.

This article breaks down how a grocery e-commerce platform helps you handle these challenges, which features to look for, and the top providers in 2026.

Jump to:

What is grocery e-commerce?
Essential features for grocery e-commerce Top 5 grocery e-commerce providers
How to find the right platform
Top 5 grocery e-commerce providers

Let’s get started.

What Is Grocery E-Commerce (and Why Do You Need It)?

Instead of fighting rush hour traffic and crowds, more customers are opting to shop for groceries online. In fact, about 138.3 million people shopped for groceries online in 2024 — and analysts expect that figure to climb higher each year.

Grocery e-commerce allows stores to sell products online through a website or app, offering delivery, pickup, or even in-store ordering options. However, not all platforms work the same.

Some are app-based marketplaces, like Instacart, where folks can search for your store alongside other businesses in your area. This setup can help you reach online shoppers quickly without building a standalone store, though it might come with higher fees and less control over online branding.

Other platforms, like LocalExpress or GrazeCart, are website builders. These let you manage your own storefront, feature products, run promotions, and handle orders directly.

With these options, you have more control over the customer experience, but you may need extra tools or plugins for grocery-specific operations.

Essential Features for Your Grocery E-Commerce Platform

Regardless of the platform type you choose, all grocery e-commerce platforms should provide a few core capabilities to handle online orders reliably:

Order fulfillment options: Offer click-and-collect, delivery, or shipping, and manage each workflow clearly.
Basic product listing & substitutions: List products with clear details and allow substitutions when items run out.

If you choose a full-featured website builder or a platform integrated with your point of sale (POS) system, look for additional features that support a more complete grocery experience:

Inventory management: Track stock across multiple locations, sync online and in-store inventory, and receive low-stock alerts.
Advanced product management: Handle weighted items, perishable inventory, and specialty departments like bakery, deli, or produce.
Sales reporting: Consolidate online and in-store sales to guide ordering, staffing, and promotions.
Promotion placement: Highlight weekly deals, flash sales, or product bundles to drive customer attention.
Specialty product highlighting: Feature local, in-house, or specialty items to stand out from the competition.

Ultimately, the best platform for your business depends on your store’s size, fulfillment model, product range, and customer expectations.

A smaller specialty store, for example, may only need a basic e-commerce builder with a few add-ons, while a grocer with multiple locations might need a dedicated grocery platform with POS integration, inventory management, and delivery logistics.

How To Find the Best Grocery E-Commerce Platform for Your Store

With dozens of providers available in 2026, choosing the right one may feel easier said than done.

Follow the steps outlined below to see which e-commerce platforms match your grocery store’s needs best:

Research reviews and case studies: Look at other grocers’ experiences, especially stores of similar size and scope to yours.
Test usability: Check the storefront from a customer perspective. Can shoppers easily filter by department, weight, or promotions?
Ask about integrations: Confirm the platform works with your POS, loyalty programs, and payment processors.
Vet fulfillment options: Assess how the platform handles pickup, delivery, and substitutions. Can it manage micro-fulfillment hubs or third-party delivery?
Check customization and reporting: Ensure dashboards are easy to understand and reports provide actionable data on both online and in-store operations.

When scheduling demos, bring up real situations from your store and see how their platform would have handled it. For example, what features do they have that can help you quickly fulfill a large order of fresh produce during a busy weekend, or what happens if a popular item runs out midday?

Seeing how the system responds to situations you actually face gives you a better picture of whether it fits your operations.

Top 5 Grocery E-Commerce Platforms in 2026

Now that you have a deeper understanding of the essential features and the different types of grocery e-commerce options, it’s time to start searching for your ideal fit.

Below, we’ve highlighted five of the most popular grocery e-commerce platforms in 2026, showing what makes each unique and how they serve different types of stores.

1. IT Retail

IT Retail combines POS, inventory, and online sales into a single platform, giving grocery stores real-time control over pricing, stock, and loyalty programs.

It handles in-store and online operations within a single system, supporting multi-store management, low-stock alerts, and mobile shelf-label printing — all the tools grocers need to run their stores efficiently.

With IT Retail, you can:

Sync POS, inventory, pricing, loyalty, and promotions across in-store and online channels.
Manage store operations with low-stock alerts, vendor price imports, multi-store tools, and mobile shelf-label printing.
Integrate with top grocery e-commerce platforms to run a web store without disrupting existing workflows.

Pricing: Plans start at $69/month, with custom options available so you only pay for what you need. Use the free Build & Price tool to see which option best fits your store.

2. WaveGrocery

WaveGrocery offers an integrated online store with built-in delivery management and support for fresh produce and weighted items. The platform can handle grocery-specific operations without needing additional apps or custom development.

With WaveGrocery, you can:

Handle weighed and perishable items, letting customers choose cut or weight options for produce, meat, and deli products.
Manage delivery operations with built-in route planning, live driver tracking, and delivery zone controls.
Offer smart product substitutions and support micro-fulfillment hub operations.

Pricing: Costs start at approximately $299/month, with a pay-as-you-grow model that scales based on order volume, SKUs, and delivery operations.

3. LocalExpress

LocalExpress combines web, mobile, and in-store kiosk ordering with AI-powered data tools, helping multilocation grocers manage large catalogs, delivery, and marketing from a single platform.

With LocalExpress, you can:

Optimize SKU catalogs across multiple stores using AI-driven product management.
Support integrated delivery, pickup, and third-party fulfillment with driver apps.
Run marketing campaigns, manage search engine optimization (SEO), and generate customer reviews to increase visibility.

Pricing: Pricing is not publicly available. Contact LocalExpress for a custom quote.

4. Freshop

Freshop provides grocery stores with a customizable website and optional mobile app that connect directly to in-store systems. It supports online versions of weekly deals, loyalty programs, and specialized department workflows like bakery, deli, and catering.

With Freshop, you can:

Offer multiple fulfillment types, including pickup, delivery, and “endless aisle” shopping.
Publish digital weekly circulars and ads to replicate in-store promotions online.
Manage specialty departments such as bakery, deli, and catering orders.

Pricing: Plans range from $100–360+/month, plus a Freemium option with limited features.

5. Shopify

Shopify is a general website builder with various apps and extensions for grocery e-commerce.

Its strength lies in speed of setup, flexibility, and multichannel sales capabilities — making it a good choice for small to mid-sized grocers who want an online presence quickly without a fully grocery-specific system.

With Shopify, you can:

Launch a store quickly with extensive design options and add grocery-related capabilities via third-party apps.
Track online and in-store sales using their built-in POS system.
Access a large ecosystem of apps for delivery, subscriptions, and multichannel selling.

Pricing: Plans range from $29–$300+/month (plus app fees), with additional monthly costs for certain grocery-specific features and extensions.

How Grocery E-Commerce Software Can Elevate Your Business

1. Enhances the Customer Experience

Grocery e-commerce software allows customers to shop online from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need to physically visit the store.

This increased convenience can help you attract new customers and increase sales. And as the majority of people find new businesses online, a modern online presence can also positively affect people’s perception of your brand.

If customers routinely shop for the same things, they can save their cart for easy reordering the next time they need groceries. They can also save their payment information and shipping address for faster checkout, reducing the time and effort required to complete purchases.

A well-designed e-commerce platform provides an intuitive, user-friendly interface that makes it easy for customers to navigate your selection.

2. Boosts Sales Through In-Store Pickup

Many small grocery stores aren’t ready to dive into local delivery or partner with services like InstaCart that send out pickers. That’s OK! In fact, some experts believe that the majority of growth in online grocery sales will come from in-store pickup, not delivery.

However, even if people are picking up in store, they’ll still expect a user-friendly online shopping experience. Make sure your inventory system is keeping your stock levels up to date, and regularly audit your stock to check for stockouts.

Nothing is quite as frustrating as going to pick up an order and finding that your favorite brand is out of stock. Sometimes, stockouts are inevitable. To reduce frustration, prioritize communication. Send out a text or email if you need to make a replacement, giving the customer time to decide before they arrive.

Speaking of communication, the more the better! Many e-commerce platforms automatically send messages to customers when orders are received, being prepared, and are ready for pickup.

3. Helps You Build Community and Drive Sales

It might sound counterintuitive, but a strong online presence goes a long way towards building a local community. Over 90% of people find local businesses by searching online, so having a website that showcases both your selection and your personality is essential for drumming up business.

The more people who can find your business, the more people who will shop there — but if you only have a Google business listing and a basic website, people might not get a full picture of what you have to offer.

Offering online sales helps attract customers who might not have discovered your shop otherwise. It also gives you another marketing channel to advertise on — better yet, if you captivate someone with a deal, they can buy it right on the website.

When building your website, focus on search engine optimization (SEO) so it shows up higher in search results, and make sure you include pictures and an informative “About” page that lets people understand your values and specialties.

Pair your website with a consistent social media strategy to give your business a human face and unforgettable personality.

4. Improves Customer Retention

The convenience of online shopping isn’t the only way it can increase sales. Online sales also make it easier to retain customers through better marketing and more personalized engagement.

Every time a customer makes an order through your site, you collect their email and their shopping history. This allows you to tailor offers to their tastes, and numerous studies show that personalized offers are far more effective than blanket discounts.

Plus, people don’t usually do all their grocery store shopping in store or online — most do a mix of both. By offering convenient online options, you lower your risk of losing in-person customers who temporarily need the convenience of an online option.

If your customer loyalty program works seamlessly in store and online, you give customers even more incentive to stick with your brand.

5. Drives Better Decision-Making With Data

Many grocery e-commerce solutions also come with reports and analytics tools. These give you valuable insights that help you make more informed decisions about your business. Grocery store analytics tools enable you to:

Make personalized product recommendations.
Uncover in-store vs. online shopping behavior for better merchandise planning.
See customers’ search history to see if there are any frequently searched items you don’t offer.
Understand the effectiveness of promotions and marketing (and see if there’s a difference between online and in store).
See key performance metrics (e.g. average cart size, customer retention rate, profit margins by category).
Discover bestselling items and slow-moving inventory.

Having a combined platform for both your physical and online store gives you an even more detailed understanding of your customers’ behaviors and preferences.

Next Steps: Choosing Your Grocery E-Commerce Platform

Now that you know what features matter, take time to evaluate how each platform handles the realities of your store.

Think about which workflows interrupt your day-to-day most — whether managing perishable inventory, handling substitutions, or fulfilling orders across multiple locations — and test platforms with those scenarios in mind.

For grocers who want a single system to manage in-store and online sales, IT Retail combines POS, inventory, pricing, and promotions in one platform. Schedule a demo today to see how it can adapt to your store’s workflows and help you manage every channel from one place.

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