As Shoppers Seek Deals, Grocers See More Visits

ARLINGTON, Va. — Shoppers have refined their deal-seeking behavior in the weak economy, according to the 2010 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends survey released by Food Marketing Institute here.

“Shoppers have gained a renewed appreciation for saving money through home-cooked meals, comparison shopping, store selection, brand preference, coupons and more,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, FMI president and chief executive officer. “They choose to save money by eating at home but they also believe, overwhelmingly, that the food they eat at home is healthier than eating away from home. It is clear supermarkets are positioned to help their customers save money and help them make healthier choices when it comes to food.”

The interest in home cooking may be reflected in the increasing number of trips to the grocery store, with an average of 2.1 visits per week, according to the latest survey, up from 2.0 visits in 2009.

Traditional supermarkets remain the most visited format for groceries, with 70% of shoppers in the survey saying they buy groceries at the supermarket “fairly often” or “almost every time.” That compares with supercenters, with 46% saying they shop there for groceries frequently; discount stores, at 42%; and club stores, at 29%.

Interestingly, an increasing proportion of shoppers in the survey — which was conducted among some 2,000 consumers early this year — said they have shopped a traditional supermarket in the last 30 days. The 87% of consumers who cited a supermarket among their recent shopping destinations marked a reversal of a four-year trend in which that percentage had been declining. In 2005, 93% of shoppers said they had visiting a supermarket in the last 30 days, followed by 90% in 2006, 87% in 2007, 86% in 2008 and 83% in 2009.

Shoppers are spending an average of $99.90 weekly on groceries, the survey found, up 1.5% over year-ago levels. However, total grocery dollars spent at the shopper's primary store declined to 75.4%, compared with 76.6% in 2009.

“Consumers are carefully planning their grocery shopping trip and the importance of price as factor in deciding the store destination is undeniable,” said Sarasin.

Price was named as the most important factor (75%) for selecting a primary store, followed closely by high-quality fruits and vegetables (73%) and items on sale or money-saving specials (67).

The number of shoppers who said the recession has changed their shopping and spending patterns declined to 52% of those surveyed, down from 69% at the peak of the recession in January 2009.

The same ratio of consumers as last year — 68% — said they are eating out less than they did one year ago. Additionally, 52% spend less money when they do dine out.

More and more customers are increasing their money-saving behaviors when they plan their grocery shopping trips, the survey found:

2.1
Shopping trips per week to traditional supermarkets.

Source: FMI Trends