Today's consumer is weathering the economy and is now a dedicated deal seeker at the supermarket, according to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) '2010 US Grocery Shopper Trends' reports, published with support from PepsiCo.
The report noted that, since the recession began, consumers have gained a renewed appreciation for saving money through home-cooked meals, comparison shopping, store selection, brand preferences, coupons and other techniques.
According to FMI president and CEO, Leslie Sarasin, "Consumers are choosing to save money by eating at home, but they also believe that the food they eat at home is healthier than eating away from home. It is clear that supermarkets are positioned to help their customers save money as well as help them to make healthier choices."
This new interest in home cooking is also impacting the average number of weekly trips to the grocery store, which continues an upward trend averaging 2.06 visits per week. In fact, nearly 6 out of 10 shoppers said they are now making two or more grocery shopping trips per week.
Furthermore, shoppers in the US are now spending an average of US$99.90 weekly on groceries, up 1.5% compared to 2009's average of US$98.40. However, total grocery dollars spent at the primary store declined to 75.4% compared to 76.6% in 2009. The primary store's total trips decreased too, from 75.3% to 68.9% currently.
"Consumers are carefully planning their grocery shopping trip and the importance of price as factor in deciding the store destination is undeniable," explained Sarasin.
Price was cited by consumers as the most important factor (75%) for choosing a primary store, followed closely by high quality fruits and vegetables (73%) and items on sale or money-saving specials (67%).
Supermarkets held their place as the most frequented channel for 56% of shoppers, unchanged from 2009, marking the first time in five years that the supermarket share had not declined. Supercentres were the second most popular choice (27%), followed by limited assortment stores (7%).
The recession has caused changes in shopping and spending patterns for 52% of those surveyed, down from 69% at the peak of the recession in January 2009. Consumers said they have devised four savings strategies to save money on their food purchases:
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