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ARLINGTON, Va. — Two years of rapid food inflation doesn’t appear to have dimmed consumers’ view of the grocery shopping experience, according to the latest annual report on shopping trends from FMI – The Food Industry Association (FMI), which finds that shoppers enjoy food shopping as much as ever.
For more than four decades, FMI has tracked grocery shopping habits through its “U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends” report. More than half of consumers surveyed this year expressed positive feelings toward grocery shopping.
This year’s report introduces the 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. The index found that grocery shopper sentiment reached a post-COVID-19 pandemic high in 2023 (72 out of 100) and remains elevated, at 70, which FMI describes as a “strong” score, achieved at the virtual peak of price inflation and suggesting that difficulties introduced by higher food prices have 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 Sarasin, president and chief executive officer 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.”
Added Sarasin, “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%).”
The 2024 survey, conducted in partnership with the Hartman Group, found that frequent online shopping peaked during the pandemic and has since declined to pre-pandemic levels.
The survey found that weekly household grocery spending averages $165, up $1 from last year and up 44% from 2019, the last full year before food retailers begin raising prices in response to supply chain disruptions related to the pandemic.
Grocery stores are the primary grocery channel for 40% of shoppers, an increase of 2% from 2023. Mass retail is the main channel for 32% of grocery shoppers, and warehouse clubs are the primary channel for 9% of shoppers.
By income, grocery stores are the main grocery channel of 47% of shoppers with annual household incomes of $100,000 or more. Grocers are the main channel for 38% of shoppers with incomes between $35,000 and $99,999. About a third of shoppers in households with annual incomes of less than $35,000 use grocery stores as their primary grocery channel, according to the survey.
Mass retail, a category that includes Walmart, is the main channel for 40% of grocery shoppers in households with annual incomes under $35,000; 36% of those earning between $35,000 and $100,000; and 23% of those with annual incomes exceeding $100,000.
“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,” said Laurie Demeritt, CEO of the Hartman Group. “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.”
