Millennials shop multiple stores for groceries

Millennials are more likely than other age groups to shop three or more retail outlets for groceries each week, according to a new report from Acosta.

However, although price is a driving factor for most shoppers who report shopping multiple locations, Millennials are the least likely of any age group to report price as a reason for spreading their grocery shopping around.

According to Acosta’s “Trip Drivers” Hot Topic Report, 76% of consumers who shop at least once per week said they visit two or more stores to buy groceries. Millennials are the most likely to shop at the most locations, with 44% saying they shop at three or more stores, compared with 29% of all shoppers.

Price is the biggest motivator for all shoppers visiting multiple outlets, with 60% agreeing that some products are priced lower at certain retailers. Forty-one percent said quality variability across different categories is a motivating factor in store-hopping, 33% said product availability is a factor and 23% cited convenience.

Among Millennials, only 45% cited price as a key factor driving them to shop multiple stores. This age group is more likely to cite physical proximity and the availability of specific brands.

Millennials are also more likely to shop multiple retailers to ensure freshness, the report found. While 37% of shoppers said they make multiple trips to ensure their food is fresh, 65% of Millennials said they make multiple trips or have multiple deliveries to receive the freshest possible food. That compares with 47% of Gen-Xers, 25% of Baby Boomers and 22% of Silents (age 70-plus).

“Shoppers appreciate having options, which is why we are seeing a rise in hopping from store to store for weekly grocery trips,” said Colin Stewart, senior VP at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Acosta. “People are motivated by not only good deals and fresh products, but also by brand loyalty, which can impact their decisions to either keep returning to a particular store, or hopping to another.”