FMI Launches 2024 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Series: How Consumers Are Finding Value at the Grocery Store
May 14 2024 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
Consumers Maintain a Positive View of Food
Shopping, Simplifying their Store Mix
Shoppers enjoy food shopping as much as ever, according to the
latest annual survey by FMI – The Food Industry Association,
conducted by The Hartman Group. The analysis kicking off this 2024
series, U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends: Finding Value, provides a
crucial snapshot of consumer behavior and sentiment in the most
frequently purchased consumer category amid ongoing concerns about
the impact of inflation on the cost of groceries.
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Shoppers enjoy food shopping as much as
ever, according to the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report by FMI –
The Food Industry Association. (Photo: Business Wire)
While consumer concerns about food inflation persist, FMI’s
newly launched U.S. Grocery Shopper Sentiment Index, which accounts
for shoppers’ collective feelings and attitudes toward grocery
shopping as well as their feelings about their current primary
store, found that grocery shopper sentiment reached a post-COVID-19
pandemic high in 2023 (of 72 out of 100) and continues to remain
elevated (70 out of 100 currently), with more than half of shoppers
surveyed expressing positive feelings toward grocery shopping. This
strong score, achieved at the virtual peak of price inflation,
suggests that notwithstanding the difficulties price inflation may
introduce, it has done little to degrade the overall experience and
outcomes perceived in grocery shopping.
“FMI's national survey found that grocery shoppers’ concerns
about inflation have stabilized in recent months, illustrating how
resilient consumers are when it comes to food shopping,” said
Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI. “To manage higher
prices, shoppers are increasingly prioritizing getting good value,
which involves focusing more on quality and optimizing purchases
for personal enjoyment, convenience, and waste-reduction at
home.”
Sarasin continued, "This is not to say that price is irrelevant
to the value equation – 91% of shoppers concerned with rising
prices have made some changes to their shopping habits to achieve
better price value. While half of shoppers surveyed say they are
looking for more deals, only 32% are buying fewer items and far
fewer are cutting back on key food categories or attributes such as
organic (15%) or fresh items (14%).”
FMI's grocery trends exploration partner, and CEO of The Hartman
Group, Laurie Demeritt, said, "Ultimately, food shopping remains a
labor of like – if not always a labor of love. However, how much
shoppers like or love grocery shopping does vary between different
demographics. For example, Millennials and Gen Z say they 'love' or
'like' grocery shopping more than Gen X or Baby Boomers do. The
research shows that where and how consumers shop for food also
differs depending on age – it’s not just that younger shoppers have
more comfort with online grocery, younger shoppers are more likely
to have shifted their trips away from supermarkets and toward mass
and other channels."
FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends survey also revealed:
- Supermarkets Lead Amid Store Mix: Despite a decade-long
trend toward mass retailers, 40% of shoppers now choose
supermarkets as their main store, compared to 32% opting for mass
stores.
- Online Grocery Shopping Frequency Returns to Pre-Pandemic
Levels: Occasional online shopping rose from 49% to 67%.
However, frequent online shopping peaked during the COVID-19
pandemic and has since declined to pre-pandemic levels.
- Rise in Digital Tools for Smart Shopping: While online
grocery growth has slowed, shoppers increasingly value digital
touchpoints. Fifty percent of shoppers use digital coupons,
surpassing the 37% who use physical coupons. Additionally, 37% of
grocery shoppers now use their mobile phones to compare prices
across stores, a 28-point increase from 2016.
- Americans continue to say they enjoy cooking, but while
workday meals are increasingly sourced from home, shoppers spend
less and less time on dinner prep (32% under 30 minutes, up from
18% in February of 2020).
- Eating & Cooking Trends: While nutrition objectives
have remained consistent for grocery shoppers as a whole,
individual shoppers continue to explore and experiment with eating
approaches and scrutinize labels for different claims as they
age.
For Media:
- Members of the media may contact FMI for a gratis copy of the
U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2024: Finding Value report. In addition
to this report, FMI released reports on Online Shopping and Eating
& Cooking. These reports are part of a five-part U.S. Grocery
Shopper Trends series this year. Learn more and find related
resources at www.FMI.org/GroceryTrends.
About FMI
As The Food Industry Association, FMI works with and on behalf
of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier, and more
efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide
range of members across the value chain — from retailers to
producers to companies supplying critical services — to amplify the
collective work of the industry. www.FMI.org
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Heather Garlich, media@fmi.org, 202-220-0616