Modern-day grocery shopper demands are ushering in a new era of food retail.
FMI's annual U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report looks at consumer grocery shopping habits, while our Food Retailing Industry Speaks report surveys the industry on financial performance, operational and store-level benchmarks, and strategic and competitive insights. Combined, these reports show the grocery industry is revving up towards a major evolution.
Shoppers also personalize grocery shopping by sharing the household shopping responsibility, wanting to know more about the foods they eat and endeavoring to meet their ideal of "eating well."
Grocery stores are increasingly personalizing the grocery shopping experience. 68% of grocery stores responding to our Speaks survey use personalized customer service to differentiate and the majority (63%) find this to be a successful strategy.
% of grocery stores are using
personalization technology
Young shoppers have a higher desire for information and in-store experiences. Gen Z and Millennials report important grocery store attributes include:
Available nutrition and health information
Information beyond the package
An exciting environment to browse ideas and products
Shoppers desire for information and in-store experiences is driven by their need to "eat well."
0 %
of grocery shoppers report their diet
could be healthier
Nearly half of shoppers see their primary grocery store as being on their side when it comes to helping them stay healthy.
Grocery stores increasingly offer both information and in-store experiences to delight shoppers.
%
of grocery stores view transparency as
positive for their business
When it comes to creating a memorable in-store experience, grocers surveyed plan to increase specialty staff by department including:
35% - Produce Butchers & Cheese Mongers
23% - Dietitian or Nutritionist
20% Chefs
15% Pastry Chefs
28% Customer Service Professionals
Grocers also plan to increase areas of the store that excite shoppers and deliver convenience with larger space allocations for:
deli/fresh prepared sections
special diet sections (like gluten-free, etc.)
expanded meat substitutes section
online fulfillment areas
Shoppers use technology in grocery shopping.
We find online is not cannibalizing weekly trips to brick-and-mortar stores. Instead, online is just another of the many channels that grocery shoppers use to meet their needs.
0 %
of grocery shoppers have ordered groceries online in the past year
When using online grocery shopping, consumers receive delivery in a variety of ways.
home delivery via standard shipping
pickup at a store or kiosk
same/next day home delivery
ongoing delivery of food or grocery staples
Grocers respond that they are meeting shoppers' online grocery order delivery needs with:
offering pick-up at store
offering delivery by another organization
offering delivery by employees
offering pick up at other locations
In-store, shoppers use technology to enhance their grocery shopping experience.
use smartphones while shopping
use grocery store apps
The U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report provides the latest insights into customer behavior and shopping habits.
The Food Retailing Industry Speaks report provides important operational and financial benchmarks as well as insights into strategic and tactical decisions.