Why is SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) online purchasing still not widely available and difficult to access across the United States?

Amazon and Walmart have long dominated this space, but that landscape is about to change—hundreds of grocers are lining up to join the federal government's SNAP online purchasing pilot program.

In this three-part series, Grocery Dive will delve into the explosive growth of SNAP online purchasing and the opportunities it unlocks for the grocery industry. However, as competition intensifies, grocers and their technology partners say they still face several obstacles in accelerating their differentiation efforts.

The first report will examine: why progress in 2020 in allowing SNAP beneficiaries to use Electronic Benefit Transfer cards for online payments nearly stalled; and what challenges researchers and anti-hunger organizations see in improving accessibility for vulnerable communities.

Subsequently, technology vendors will share insights on the pros and cons grocers need to weigh before launching SNAP online shopping. To illustrate how the government process actually works, two independent grocers will share their firsthand experiences from applying for the pilot to attempting to go live.

This SNAP online series is presented by Mercatus, a recognized leader in grocery e-commerce technology. To learn about its SNAP EBT online solution and access related resources, pleasevisit its website. Mercatus has no influence over the editorial content in this article by Grocery Dive, and the content does not represent the views or positions of Mercatus or its employees.