A survey of grocery shoppers’ spending habits and attitudes by FMI – The Food Industry Association, conducted by The Hartman Group, reveals that while shoppers remain concerned about rising food prices, consumers are less likely to cut back on their number of purchases.
Among shoppers who are concerned about rising food prices, only 32 percent of shoppers in February reported buying fewer items as a strategy to address rising prices, down from 41 percent in October.
Instead, shoppers continue to look for deals across multiple channels – supermarkets, mass retailers, club stores and online – to mitigate the impact of higher food prices on their budgets.
“Our national survey reveals persistent consumer concern about food and beverage prices, as the weekly spend for groceries increased in late 2022 and early in 2023,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI.
“To address higher prices, shoppers are visiting more stores and seeking deals to stretch their dollars but are now less likely to cut back on the number of items purchased compared to six months or a year ago. This is an opportunity for our industry to continue connecting with shoppers on food-inflation-mitigating solutions.”
Food price concerns cut across shopper demographics, but Boomers are more worried about rising food prices than any other group, with 80 percent showing concern in February versus 69 percent in October. Millennials polled close behind with 76 percent saying they are concerned, 5 percent more than one year ago.
Such concerns about food costs coincide with an increase in spending in this inflationary environment. In February, on average, consumers spent $164 per week on groceries, up from $148 in both October and February 2022.
FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends survey also revealed:
- 68 percent of shoppers report spending more on groceries than one year ago; 7 percent say they spend less.
- Households with children reported the greatest increase in grocery spending year over year.
- Fifty-five percent of those polled are concerned with rising prices at restaurants, up from 50 percent in October.
Overall, shoppers report fewer channels but more stores in their rotation, suggesting increased competition for shoppers’ dollars within channels.
- In February, shoppers visited on average 5.2 different stores, up from 4.9 in February 2022. Meanwhile, shoppers used 3.6 different channels per month, down from 4.0 in February 2022.
- Online shoppers have reduced the number of channels they shop online. While supermarkets and club channels have lost some of their online users, mass retailers have not.
To learn more and find related resources, visit FMI.org/GroceryTrends.
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