Start by picking a grocery-friendly Shopify theme that supports fast navigation, strong search and filtering, and mobile-first layout. Set up your catalog with clear categories (fresh, pantry, frozen), smart filters (diet, brand, price), and “subscribe & save” or “buy again” flows to drive repeat orders. Learn from top Shopify grocery examples by Market Misfits, Instacart, and Huel. Finally, install only the apps that solve real problems like delivery date and pickup scheduling, cart upsells/bundles, reviews, and email/SMS.
Look, when you say you want to start a Shopify grocery store, you’re not saying, “I want to build an ecommerce website.”
You’re really saying, “I want people to come back every week and buy again.”
That’s the whole game in the grocery store.
Grocery isn’t like fashion, where someone browses, compares, and thinks for two days. Grocery is quick. It’s list-based. People show up with a mission.
They want to find what they need fast, trust that it’ll arrive on time, and finish the order without any weird surprises at checkout.
In this guide, I’m going to show you what actually helps new grocery stores on Shopify with real grocery store examples and the best grocery store Shopify themes. This will be a simple, launch-ready setup that doesn’t waste your time.
Is Shopify Good for Grocery Stores?
Yes, Shopify is good for groceries, especially if you’re starting small and selling to a local area.
Shopify supports grocery basics like local delivery zones, delivery pricing rules, and in-store pickup, so you can launch without building anything custom.
Grocery shopping only works when you make buying fast and repeat buying even faster. Shoppers want to grab items, choose delivery or pickup, and check out without friction.
Since cart abandonment across ecommerce averages around 70.22%, your checkout flow, delivery clarity, and reorder experience matter way more than fancy design.
Best Examples to Choose Shopify for Grocery Store
Market Misfits
Online Shopify grocery delivery that produces plus pantry staples, dairy, and meats, focused on sustainability.
What you can copy from this grocery shop:
- Lead with a strong “why buy from us” angle (Market Misfits focuses on waste reduction).
- Make “grocery delivery” the headline promise (not hidden in menus).
- Push bundles/boxes as a default buying behavior. It drives repeat orders and larger baskets.
Instacart
Another Shopify grocery delivery and pickup website that offers products from local stores, fulfilled by shoppers and delivered to customers.
Instacart wins because it reduces uncertainty at every step. It sets the expectation that delivery, substitutions, and updates will stay transparent and easy.
What you can copy from this store:
- Put “Delivery or Pickup?” as an early choice to increase checkout completion rate.
- Add a clear substitution policy and let customers leave notes.
- Use a simple “reorder” flow so customers can repeat the same basket fast.
Huel
Huel sells nutrition-focused meals and food products designed around health. It makes the value feel simple, even though the product is technical. They also build trust fast by explaining benefits clearly and repeating key proof points.
What you can copy from this Shopify store.
- Add quick proof sections like nutrition facts to increase trust.
- Create a “starter bundle” so new customers don’t have to decide everything.
- Promote subscriptions for evergreen products that people buy every now and again.
Grocery Owl
Grocery Owl sells groceries and household essentials with delivery and a free delivery threshold.
This is another store that makes buying decisions easier by showing delivery conditions clearly. That clarity pushes customers to add more items to hit the minimum and feel good about the order.
What you can copy from this Shopify store:
- Display free-delivery minimum and delivery fees on the homepage and cart.
- Add “What’s New” and “Best Sellers” sections to help shoppers decide faster.
- Use strong category navigation that feels like grocery aisles (snacks, beverages, cleaning, staples).
Thrive Market
They sell organic and health-focused groceries, plus home and personal care products. Thrive Market feels trustworthy because the store looks curated and standards-driven.
What you can copy from this grocery store
- Lead with clear positioning (organic only, local brands, clean ingredients, budget-friendly products).
- Use trust builders like standards badges, ingredient highlights, and simple FAQs.
Choose the Right Grocery Store Shopify Theme
In my 10 years as a Shopify expert, I would recommend these 4 grocery store Shopify themes for new merchants.
Dawn
Price: Free
Rating: 36% positive
Reviews: 267 reviews
Local
Price: $380 USD
Rating: 98% positive
Reviews: 92 reviews
Canopy
Price: $400 USD
Rating: 95% positive
Reviews: 165 reviews
Expanse
Price: $400 USD
Rating: 93% positive
Reviews: 327 reviews
Taiga
Price: $490 USD
Rating: 100% positive
Reviews: 46 reviews
Tips to run a successful Shopify grocery store
Make delivery and pickup feel “obvious”
Grocery shoppers decide fast. If they can’t instantly see where you deliver and how pickup works, they bounce.
That’s where Stellar Delivery Date & Pickup fits in naturally. It lets shoppers pick a delivery or pickup date and time with a clean calendar.
You can also control things like availability by location, cut-off times, and blocked dates, so you don’t overpromise.
AI chatbot for Shopify grocery store
Use a chatbot to remove the small questions that stop grocery orders.
Shoppers ask the same questions every day:
- “Will you deliver to my area?”
- “What’s the next delivery slot?”
- “Can I replace an out-of-stock item?”
- “Where’s my order?”
If the chatbot answers instantly, the customer keeps shopping instead of leaving.
Win on speed with better product lists
Grocery is list-shopping. People don’t want to open 20 product pages.
Your collections should do the work: clear filters and sorting for multiple product categories.
Baymard’s online grocery research shows the most efficient pattern is when the “Add to cart” button sits right in the product list, so shoppers can build a basket in seconds.
Make reordering the default behavior
Your first order is nice. Your second order is the business when it comes to running Shopify bakery stores.
Add “Buy again” style sections, best sellers, and simple bundles like “Weekly Staples” or “Breakfast Kit” so returning shoppers don’t have to think. The goal is simple: fewer clicks, same basket, done.
In Conclusion
If you’re building a grocery store on Shopify, keep it simple. Make delivery and pickup easy, shopping fast, and checkout feel effortless.
Your goal is to get that second and third order without making them think.
Start small, launch with a clean grocery store Shopify theme, and install only the apps that solve real problems like delivery scheduling, better cart flow, and faster reorders.
Do this, and you’ll have a store that feels reliable, which is exactly what grocery shoppers come back for.
FAQs for Shopify Grocery
1. Can I sell groceries on Shopify?
Yes. Shopify is built to sell grocery products online, and Shopify even has a dedicated “sell groceries online” category page showing how to set up and run a successful grocery store.
2. What are the best grocery store Shopify themes?
For new grocery stores, start with themes that load fast and make collection browsing easy. Good picks are Local (paid, $380, 98% rating), Foodie (paid, $180), and Taste (free).
3. Which is the best AI chatbot for Shopify grocery store?
If you want something simple and native, Shopify Inbox is a solid starting point, and it’s free. If you want more automation and AI-driven chat flows, Tidio (Live Chat & AI Chatbot) is one of the most popular options on the Shopify App Store.
4. Which is the best delivery app for grocery stores on Shopify?
If you need pickup + local delivery scheduling with a date/time picker, Stellar Delivery Date & Pickup is a proven option for groceries.
5. Which are the best Shopify grocery store examples?
If you want examples to copy, look at brands that sell pantry staples, beverages, and health-focused grocery items. Lists like this one include Thrive Market, Bulletproof, OLIPOP, and Nescafé.
About the author
Vineet Nair
Vineet is an experienced content strategist with expertise in the ecommerce domain and a keen interest in Shopify. He aims to help Shopify merchants thrive in this competitive environment with technical solutions and thoughtfully structured content.