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This post is the third installment in our grocery delivery series. In Part One, we explored how delivery has become the growth engine for modern grocery. In Part Two, we examined the hidden costs of relying on third-party platforms.
This part focuses on building delivery infrastructure that can scale with your business. Whether you’re launching a new service, expanding into new markets, or working toward profitability at scale, this blog draws on lessons from grocers like Ahold Delhaize (one of the few to make e-commerce profitable on a fully allocated basis) alongside market data, operational benchmarks, and a practical roadmap you can adapt to your own operations.
One of the clearest proof points that delivery infrastructure can be both scalable and profitable comes from Ahold Delhaize, parent of Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Hannaford, and other banners.
In the first half of 2025, Ahold reported e-commerce profitability on a fully allocated basis, which is a rare feat in grocery. In Q2 alone, online sales grew 5.7% in the U.S. and more than 12% in Europe, with the company achieving record online market share in the Netherlands. Loyalty program adoption and omnichannel customer growth also reached new record levels.
Here’s how they did it:
Ahold’s leaders drove profitability by investing in infrastructure, controlling costs, and shaping demand, while avoiding reliance on third parties. Their discipline and ownership of the customer journey turned delivery from a cost center into a growth engine.
Delivery is growing fast, and the economics are unforgiving. Without the right infrastructure, scaling volume often means scaling losses.
Delivery is becoming the primary way many customers shop. That growth compounds operational pressure.
For a grocer processing tens of thousands of orders each week, even a $2 increase in cost per order can mean millions lost annually. Infrastructure that can manage fulfillment, labor, and last-mile orchestration efficiently protects profitability at scale.
Before deciding how to scale delivery, you need to know where you stand today. Our grocery delivery maturity curve outlines four typical stages:
Most grocers move through these stages over several years. Knowing your current stage helps you focus on the right next steps. Whether that’s establishing a baseline, gaining control over orchestration, or fine-tuning for profit.
Not every grocer is starting from the same place. This framework helps you identify where you are and what to prioritize next—paired with examples from leaders who have navigated each stage successfully.
| Stage | Priority Actions | Outcome | Example in Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Out | Launch an owned digital storefront, measure cost and performance per order, and rely on partner fleets initially | Validate reliability, capture data, and build your baseline | Regional grocers entering e-commerce often start here, using third-party fleets for coverage while testing operational readiness. This stage is about proving demand and identifying cost drivers. |
| Adding Orchestration | Introduce a routing and slot management engine, test incentives to shift demand, and begin controlling fleet mix | Reduce cost per order while protecting service levels | A mid-size chain in the Midwest shifted from flat delivery windows to dynamic slot pricing and routing, lowering per-order costs by 12% without losing service quality. |
| Driving Loyalty | Connect delivery to your loyalty program, unify customer communications, and test retail media | Strengthen retention and unlock incremental revenue | Kroger ties delivery offers directly to loyalty tiers, targeting high-value customers with personalized promotions. This builds stickiness while increasing order frequency. |
| Profit Infrastructure | Align pricing, routing, and fleet allocation to margin and retention goals; manage delivery P&L at the zone level | Delivery becomes a net profit contributor | Ahold Delhaize reached full e-commerce profitability in 2025 by aligning fleet strategy with store-based fulfillment, automation, private-label margin growth, and disciplined cost management. |
Think of these stages as a roadmap. Grocers can’t skip straight to profitability without first establishing control and visibility. The fastest-growing grocers are the ones who treat each stage as a foundation for the next, not as an isolated project.
Every profitable delivery model is built on a similar foundation. Before chasing scale, make sure these pieces are in place:
When these building blocks work together, they create a platform for scaling volume without sacrificing margins.
The fastest-growing grocers move with speed and discipline: identifying their current stage, acting on the right priorities, and measuring impact in weeks, not years.
This interactive plan gives you stage-specific actions you can start today, plus an ROI calculator to show exactly what your investment in infrastructure could return.
Step 1: Select your current delivery maturity stage.
Step 2: Get your tailored action plan.
Step 3: Use the ROI calculator to project your potential annual savings and margin growth.
The e-grocery market is projected to reach nearly $120 billion annually by 2028, capturing about 12.7% of total grocery sales. Each point of market share equals millions in revenue—if the economics work. A $2–$3 swing in cost per order can determine whether delivery is profitable or a loss.
Ahold proves profitability doesn’t require slowing down or diluting customer experience. It requires infrastructure built to maximize assets, control the customer relationship, and flex with demand. Their blend of store-based fulfillment, orchestration, and a mix of owned and partner fleets is a model regional grocers can adapt today.