Fresh departments are the leading signal of store reliability for U.S. grocery shoppers, according to new research from Logile.
The company’s “2026 State of Fresh Grocery Shopping Report,” based on a March survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted by Pollfish, found that 91 percent of respondents rated fresh departments as highly influential in determining whether they trust a grocery store.
The survey also found that 78 percent of shoppers have chosen a different grocery store because its fresh departments looked better – including 25 percent who said they do this frequently. Only 5 percent said they have never switched stores over fresh quality. Eighty‑four percent said a poorly maintained produce or fresh section affects their perception of the entire store. When two stores are equally convenient, 46 percent said they would choose the store with better fresh departments, while 40 percent said they would choose lower prices.
Seventy‑four percent agreed that fresh food is a main reason they still shop for groceries in person rather than online. Eighty‑five percent said the appearance of produce is significant in their purchasing decisions, and 68 percent said hot prepared meals would encourage them to buy from a store’s deli or prepared foods section – pointing to potential for increased basket size tied to fresh execution.
“Freshness is still the reason people walk into stores,” said Purna Mishra, founder and CEO of Logile.
“You can’t replicate the look and smell of food that was just prepared through a screen. But shoppers’ expectations are rising faster than many retailers can keep up. The grocers who can execute fresh consistently, matching demand with production, labor, and inventory in real time, will keep winning trips and loyalty.”
Methodology
The Logile 2026 State of Fresh Grocery Shopping Report surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 and older in March 2026 through the third‑party platform Pollfish.
About Logile
Logile is a global leader in AI‑powered Connected Workforce solutions, founded in 2005. The company unifies forecasting, labor scheduling, task execution, inventory, fresh operations management and food safety into a single platform.