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Meijer sheds light on COVID year-one shopping trends

‘Pandemic living’ spurs online purchases, grab-and-go, home-related category sales

Russell Redman

April 8, 2021

4 Min Read
Meijer pandemic shopping trends-rotisserie chicken.jpg
Fast meal solutions like rotisserie chicken garnered sharp sales gains during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Meijer said.Meijer

On-demand services, fast checkout, convenient meal solutions, home decor and recreation were among the top shopping trends tallied by supercenter retailer Meijer after passing the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meijer said yesterday that home delivery and pickup services doubled at stores over the past 12 months. Another digital option also took hold: Customers used the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer’s Shop & Scan technology more than 100 million times to maintain social distancing and lessen time spent in the store. Accessed via the free Meijer Mobile app, Shop & Scan enables shoppers to scan product barcodes with their smartphone, keeping a running total of groceries and other merchandise added to their virtual cart, and then pay for the items by scanning their phone at a self-checkout lane.

Customers also have been opting for fast meal choices. With wait times for restaurant take-out increasing, Meijer said, stores saw a sharp rise in grab-and-go items — including sushi — and easy meal offerings for families to eat together at home. Rotisserie chicken remains one of the most popular selections, with more the 500,000 sold over the last month, the retailer said. During the pandemic, customers also turned to pre-made meals from local restaurants that have partnered with Meijer to make their selected menu items available in some communities. 
 
Bulk purchasing has risen as well. Instead of buying each piece of produce separately, more shoppers stocked up on items like potatoes, tomatoes and apples in bagged quantities, according to Meijer. Customers also focused on boosting their immunity, such as by adding oranges, lemons, grapefruit and dietary supplements to their shopping lists.  

Related:Meijer expands COVID-19 vaccinations to all stores

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With shutdowns forcing people to stay and work at home, sales of home decor products saw sharp gains at Meijer.

Unsurprisingly, face masks, hand sanitizer and surface cleaners were top sellers throughout 2020, as customers scrambled to protect themselves from the virus, Meijer reported. Also seeing big sales increases were disposable dishes, aluminum foil, baking paper and food storage, fueled by a surge in home cooking and baking. Most recently, shoppers are focusing on home organizing and adding more environmentally safe cleaning solutions to their supply closets.

Meijer operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

“We continue to applaud our store teams that worked diligently throughout the pandemic to find solutions that would help our customers find the products they needed while keeping their families safe,” Peter Whitsett, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Meijer, said in a statement. “It was a year rife with challenge, and although it’s not yet over, we see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Related:Meijer kicks off online grocery delivery with Instacart

Shopping trends also reflect home and work lifestyle changes triggered by pandemic shutdowns, Meijer noted. For example, when local gyms and fitness centers were forced to close temporarily, customers across the chain’s Midwest market area sought home fitness products such as yoga mats, exercise straps, curl bars and hand weights, which the company said “became hot sellers” and saw more than 300% growth in demand.

Meijer pandemic shopping trends-home fitness.jpg

Meijer has seen a surge in home fitness product sales as the pandemic raised consumer awareness around health.

Similarly, the surge in working from home spurred more home office-related purchases. Meijer said sales of thermal curtains and weighted blankets 50%-plus year over year as shoppers tried to keep heating bills down and block light in their home offices. Spa-themed candles experienced a 160% sales increase since the start of the pandemic as customers sought to enliven their workspaces.

Likewise, Meijer sold more than 1 million bed pillows in 2020, with shoppers opting for white goods with antimicrobial properties and pillows to enhance comfort working at home and performing tasks such as keeping up with email and streaming TV shows. Decorative pillows also were used to enliven backgrounds for video calls. Though working from home stands to lessen as vaccines help the nation climb out of the pandemic, Meijer said it expects double-digit growth of bedrest pillows to continue this year.

More time at home also meant more purchases to alleviate boredom. Meijer pointed out that as pandemic-related shutdowns proliferated, customers bought new video game hardware and accessories, board games and puzzles to stay busy and entertained. The retailer said it sold more bikes, pools and grills than past years and saw more than a 60% gain in fishing poles and gear sales, as an estimated 9 million new anglers picked up the hobby. 

“As communities have begun to reopen, we’re continuing to find new ways to be flexible as customers reshape their shopping habits for the warmer weather of a new year,” Whitsett stated.

Other trends were revealed at Meijer Express locations. Meijer said these convenience outlets saw gas sales decline because of less commuting, but at the same time they became destinations for customers seeking quick trips as shutdowns cut retailer operating hours. Besides sales jumps in late-night snacks and beverages, 24-hour Meijer Express locations saw double-digit growth in firewood and propane sales for backyard gatherings and camping trips. Scratch-off and weekly lottery sales also were up more than 25% at Meijer stores and Meijer Express locations during the past 12 months.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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