Survey Says More Shoppers Are Grilling Year-Round

While Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer, consumers are not putting their grills away just yet according to the 12th edition of The Why? Behind The Buy by Acosta—a full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry—that reveals new findings about grilling ‘season.’ Acosta’s research shows 39 percent of shoppers who grill do so during all 12 months, and 61 percent grill eight or more months each year, with Millennial and male grillers—as well as grillers with kids—grilling more frequently than total U.S. grillers. Grilling frequency also varied by region, as people in the South Central and Western regions cook outdoors the most months out of the year. Weather was not a definitive indicator, as “colder” regions such as the Plains and Great Lakes did not have the lowest usage level of grilling. “While most people think of grilling as a summertime activity, many forget that the fall brings football season, and thus, tailgating,” says Marianne Quinlan-Sacksteder, director at Acosta. “Additionally, although our study found hamburgers and chicken are the most commonly grilled foods, shoppers are also getting creative and grilling seafood, vegetables and fruits.” The 12th edition of The Why? Behind The Buy report was produced with research using a nationally representative random sample of U.S. shoppers via Acosta’s proprietary ShopperF1rst online survey in the spring of 2015. The full report will be published in mid-September. Other key findings in the survey can be seen in the infographic below.