Change came faster than expected.

Within just a few months, online fresh food demand has reached heights that many thought would take years to achieve. Driven by stay-at-home orders and consumer sentiment shifting from unease to full-blown panic over COVID-19, e-commerce sales have soared, with millions of users trying these services for the first time. This, in turn, has prompted retailers to increase investment in their platforms, from improving front-end tools and promotions to building new fulfillment processes such as pickup.

When retailers look at all the possibilities in e-commerce, they may feel overwhelmed. That's where we want to help. Over the coming weeks, we'll take a critical look at the strategies and technologies poised to shape the future of online fresh food. We'll conduct a much-needed assessment of the micro-fulfillment model—a concept that, despite its popularity, experts say still requires careful scrutiny. We'll also explore where pickup and delivery are headed, how retailers can add value to their apps and websites, and more.

If Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods was the first shot heard around the world in online fresh food e-commerce, then this year's pandemic constitutes a second, equally resounding blast. The difference is that the 2017 acquisition convinced retailers they had to go online, while the pandemic has forced them to build their online operations as a core part of their business.