Study Reveals Behaviors of Grocery Shoppers
Today, both food shopping and eating is personalized.
Jun 20, 2019
ARLINGTON, Va.—The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has released the 45th edition of U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, an annual look at grocery shopper behavior, prepared by The Hartman Group.
There are several factors impacting the way today’s consumers shop. According to FMI, one-third of U.S. households have at least one family member following a non-medically prescribed diet. “This rate is higher for younger generations,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI. “In an effort to meet their idea of eating well, households are eating in increasingly personalized ways, challenging the food shopping experience.”
Shoppers are also concerned about personalization when it comes to buying groceries. Generally, shoppers are satisfied with their primary store’s ability to “meet their needs,” but they would prefer even more personalization.
As for brick-and-mortar grocery stores, shoppers say that selection criteria, quality, freshness, low prices, cleanliness and variety are what earn customer loyalty. The lengthy list of attributes related to convenience in a physical store underpin a growing consideration among Gen Z and Millennials to shop online.
Grocery shoppers rank their online buying experience slightly higher than an in-store shopping experience when it comes to transparency, convenience and personalization. However, the 43% of consumers who shop online also average 1.7 trips a week to a physical store, higher than the national average of 1.6 trips per week, which indicates that online shopping is not cannibalizing in-store visits.
“Trends explores the current food retail marketplace and the influential roles health, well-being and technology play in the experience,” Sarasin said. “Food shopping is personal, and grocers help their shoppers navigate shifting needs, values, priorities and life pressures that require teamwork, negotiation and compromise at home.”
The 2019 Trends findings are based on ethnographic interviews and a quantitative online survey of 1,786 U.S. grocery shoppers fielded in 2019. For more information and to download the report, visit www.FMI.org/GroceryTrends.
