FMI – The Food Industry Association has released the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2026 report, outlining elements of the evolving physical grocery shopping experience that build consumer loyalty and repeat visits. “In an effort to fulfill their unique definitions of value, consumers visit more than five separate grocery store banners on average per month despite growing […]
Category: Grocery Research
News relating to research, study and reports surrounding the grocery and supermarket industries.
FMI: Global Conflict, Rising Energy Costs Put Upward Pressure On Food Prices
Cargo ships stalled in the Strait of Hormuz. Fertilizer prices that have effectively doubled for American farmers. A Sierra Nevada snowpack that never materialized. The pressures bearing down on the U.S. food supply chain in 2026 are coming from multiple directions at once – and according to experts from FMI – The Food Industry Association, […]
Circana’s Purchase To Consumption Tool Highlights $100M Opportunity Gap
Circana has rolled out its Purchase to Consumption solution, a tool that links verified purchase behaviors from the company’s receipt panel with National Eating Trends (NET) consumption behaviors from the same consumers. The solution provides the consumer packaged goods industry with what Circana calls a “holistic” understanding of the food and beverage journey. It closes […]
NRF: Retail Sales Rose For Seventh Consecutive Month In April
Retail sales grew for the seventh straight month in April despite rising gas prices and persistent inflation, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released May 13 by the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, rose 0.34 percent month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis and 5.73 percent year […]
5WPR Index Finds Costco Tops AI Citation Rankings, Walmart Trails
Costco emerged atop 5WPR’s 2026 U.S. Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index, the first to rank U.S. grocers by how frequently they are cited inside artificial intelligence-generated answers. The warehouse club retailer was cited most often when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries. Trader Joe’s ranked second, […]
Upside Report Reveals A Growing Income Divide In Consumer Spending
Upside’s new report “The Income Divide” reveals that high- and low-income consumers are making fundamentally different decisions about where and how much to spend. The findings, drawn from more than 10 billion transactions and surveys of 3,500-plus shoppers, show consumer behavior splits sharply at $75,000 in household income. Above that threshold, consumers report increased spending […]
Whole Foods Leads Newsweek’s Most Trustworthy Grocery Companies List
Newsweek released its 2026 Most Trustworthy Companies in America rankings, with Whole Foods Market topping the grocery and convenience store category, followed by The Kroger Co. at second. The list recognizes 31 grocery and convenience store operators across the country and reflects a mix of national chains, regional players and independent operators that have built […]
Ibotta Outlook: Shoppers Reallocate Spend Heading Into Summer 2026
A new 2026 Summer Outlook from Ibotta finds that the summer shopping season is starting weeks before Memorial Day, with shoppers reallocating spend away from convenience and discretionary categories toward staples and at-home consumption. The report draws on Ibotta receipt data across millions of purchases, supplemented by a survey of 500 consumers about their plans […]
84.51° Report: Online Shopping Grows But In-Store Remains The Default
A new Consumer Digest report from 84.51°, the retail data science arm of Kroger, examines how omnichannel shoppers move between an array of options to fulfill their grocery orders. The report finds that there have never been more ways to buy groceries. Modern shopping habits mean consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies must plan around blended […]
Report: Specialty, Discount Grocers Outperforming Supermarkets
Consumer Edge’s U.S. Grocery Outlook 2026 shows that shoppers are changing where they buy groceries, with specialty grocers gaining market share while traditional supermarkets are losing ground. Overall grocery spending declined about 3 percent year over year on a 12-month basis ended Feb. 28. However, Consumer Edge’s transaction data shows consumers are not just spending […]
BRdata Named AWG’s First Vendor Partner Of Year For Services & Solutions
Software company’s 17-year partnership with Associated Wholesale Grocers culminates in first-ever industry recognition As Associated Wholesale Grocers celebrated its 100th anniversary at this year’s annual convention, the Kansas City-based cooperative marked the milestone with something new: the introduction of its Vendor Partner of the Year awards. And the inaugural award for services and solutions went […]
Dunnhumby Research Shows Evolving Customer Perspective Of Retail Media
Nine in 10 shoppers are open to more retail media experiences, but only when the ads are personalized, according to new research from dunnhumby. The study of UK and U.S. shoppers found that demand for personalized advertising is high, yet its effectiveness depends on how well retailers and brands deliver relevant, timely and trusted messages […]
Report: Walmart Leads U.S. Supermarkets In Awareness; H-E-B Wins Loyalty
Walmart is the clear favorite in the U.S. supermarket market, preferred by nearly one in three American shoppers, according to new findings from Conjointly Brand Tracker released April 20. The expanded coverage of Conjointly Brand Tracker includes U.S. supermarket chains, shedding light on brand performance across the competitive sector. Market at a glance Walmart stands […]
Report: Online Grocery Sales To Reach $452B By 2028
Grocery shopping is no longer a choice between store and screen, but a seamless blend of both, according to the latest Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping 2026 report released April 22 by FMI – The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ. With omnichannel behaviors as the new normal, total U.S. online grocery sales will reach $452 […]
Food-At-Home Prices Ease In March As Grocery Volume Trends Stabilize
Grocery retailers saw a more favorable pricing environment in March as the food-at-home index declined 0.2 percent, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The decline reflected easing pressure across several categories, including meats, cereals, dairy and beverages, though fruits and vegetables rose modestly. Volume holds steady […]
Kearney Cites ‘Unpredictable’ Consumer Behavior In Beverage Outlook
Global management consulting firm Kearney has released its 2026 Beverage Outlook, detailing a growing “duality” in purchasing habits – where economic pressure, health consciousness and evolving social norms are forcing a rethinking of portfolio strategies. According to the analysis, beverage consumers have become significantly less predictable. Shoppers are increasingly “trading down” for efficiency in routine […]
Acosta: Young Consumers Lead GLP-1 Users Reshaping Grocery Baskets
Consumers using GLP-1 medications for weight loss are changing what they buy at grocery stores and elsewhere, with effects extending into personal care purchases and dining habits, according to new research from Acosta Group. The trends are most pronounced among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. Acosta Group’s study, released ahead of the National Association of […]
Primerica Survey: 75% Of Consumers Expect Grocery Prices To Rise
Three-quarters of middle-income Americans expect grocery prices to continue climbing over the next six months, according to Primerica’s Q1 2026 Financial Security Monitor survey. The finding is part of a broader pattern of rising cost expectations reshaping how households with incomes between $30,000 and $130,000 manage their budgets. The survey found that 80 percent of […]
Survey: Consumers Spend 37% Of Grocery Budget At Independent Stores
Americans spend a larger share of their grocery budget at independent stores than in any other retail category, according to a new survey from OnDeck in partnership with research consultancy Censuswide. The finding underscores the role independent grocers play in local economies even as consumers navigate an era of online convenience and corporate scale. The […]
Report: Grocery Price Growth Easing As Egg Prices Drive Breakfast Costs Down
DoorDash has released its first quarterly State of Local Commerce update, drawing on millions of transactions across restaurants, grocery stores and everyday goods to offer a view of how prices are shifting across the U.S. The headline finding for grocery retailers: the Breakfast Basics Index is down 22.3 percent year over year, driven largely by […]
