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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership with states, territories and retailers across the country, continues to expand opportunities for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, participants to conveniently shop online for groceries. More than 150 additional retailer chains are now offering online shopping to SNAP participants, representing thousands of actual stores. In collaboration with state agency and vendor partners, USDA has expanded the availability of SNAP online purchasing to 49 states and the District of Columbia, providing more than 99% of all SNAP participants with access to online purchasing.
“Online grocery shopping is a convenient, safe, secure, way to shop for food while saving SNAP participants time and money,” said Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “Expanding the diversity of our online shopping retailers is a critical component of our nutrition security goal to provide better access to healthy, safe, affordable foods.”
In July 2022, just over 3 million SNAP households shopped online, which is a substantial increase from March 2020, when about 35,000 SNAP households shopped online.
In the last 4 months, 44 retailers were added to the program, representing 1,240 store locations. A few of those retailers include: Schneiders of Kirkwood in New York, 78 Target stores in Minnesota, and 10 Buehler’s Fresh Foods stores in Ohio.
USDA is actively providing technical assistance to all stakeholders who are interested in offering SNAP online purchasing, and is dedicated to bringing a more diverse, broader range of new grocers online, with a focus on smaller, independent stores.
For more information about the program and the full list of retailers approved to provide SNAP online purchasing, visit the SNAP online webpage. USDA also recommends visiting your local retailer’s website to find out whether grocery delivery is available for your location.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also known as ARP, provided $25 million for EBT modernization that can be used through fiscal year 2026. As part of that commitment to modernization, USDA has taken the following actions:
Announced the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center grant, which will use up to $5 million from the ARP to provide much needed technical assistance to retailers offering online shopping.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service leverages its 15 nutrition assistance programs to ensure that children, low-income individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food, while building a more resilient food system. Under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack, FNS is fighting to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school meals, and WIC. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
