Last updated on December 12th, 2024
In preparation for Thanksgiving, The Kroger Co. surveyed customers about their grocery shopping habits and what they plan to eat during the holiday this year.
According to 84.51º, Kroger’s retail and data science, insights and media arm, nearly 90 percent of surveyed households plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year – and insights show customers’ tastes are trending toward traditional food offerings.
“Thanksgiving is such a special time of year, and we take pride in knowing exactly what is important to our customers during this holiday season,” said Tom Duncan, VP and head of marketing at Kroger. “No matter how they choose to celebrate, we’re happy to provide our customers with value on the items they need, want and love this Thanksgiving.”
Survey results revealed the below data from customers:
- The top five must-haves for any Thanksgiving meal include turkey (83 percent), stuffing (55 percent), mashed potatoes (49 percent), pumpkin pie (30 percent) and gravy (30 percent).
- While 20 percent of respondents considered cranberry sauce a Thanksgiving essential, the side was also ranked as the No. 1 dish that customers refuse to eat on the holiday.
- Turkey reigns supreme on Thanksgiving tables, with 78 percent of respondents sharing it is their protein of preference. Ham ranked second, with 15 percent of respondents saying it is their go-to protein for the holiday, and the remaining 7 percent of those surveyed say chicken, roast beef, brisket or tofu are preferred in their homes.
Leading up to the holiday, customers purchase select products significantly more in November than the rest of the year on average, with sales of pie and gravy increasing more than 200 percent, stuffing increasing some 800 percent and turkey and cranberry sauce sales increasing above 1,000 percent.
[RELATED: How Grocers Are Preparing For The Thanksgiving Holiday]
While looking to indulge in their seasonal favorites – with 43 percent saying they plan to splurge on Thanksgiving shopping – customers still aim to save on holiday meals. Customers are more likely to consider private-label products to save money, and 71 percent say they look for sales, deals and coupons before venturing on their Thanksgiving shopping trip.
Customers can shop Kroger’s selection of thousands of Our Brands products like Kroger Turkey Stuffing, Simple Truth Gold Potatoes and Kroger Au Jus Gravy at a lower cost than the national brand equivalent. The retailer is also offering its Freshgiving basket filled with Thanksgiving staples that feed 10 people for less than $4.85 per person. With more than $800 available in Thanksgiving savings, customers can look forward to digital deals on items across the store.
