TORONTO — Despite rising food costs, low consumer confidence and efforts to attract spenders, approximately 84% of U.S. consumers said they did not use their economic stimulus checks for groceries, according to Precima, a retail analytics firm here. The study was conducted during the first week of June and based upon a sample of 1,948 consumers. “The grocery industry didn't convince the American consumer that maximum return on stimulus checks could be achieved right in the supermarket aisles," Brian Ross, general manager of Precima, said in a statement. “The average family of four's $1,800 rebate equates to about three months of grocery buying, a prime opportunity for stores to influence shopping behavior. The rebate checks were a missed opportunity for grocers as consumers in this economic environment opted to earmark the funds for other uses —paying down debt, spending on necessities like gasoline and utilities or putting into savings.”

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