Holiday Insights: Grocery Shopper Behavior to Inform Retailer Strategies

As retailers get ready for the holiday season, it helps to keep a pulse on how consumers are feeling. Considering economic uncertainties, inflation, and health concerns— what’s top of mind for your customers? How will they be shopping, and what products will they be prioritizing over the holidays?

Our team decided to survey 1,000 grocery shoppers across the U.S. to learn about their holiday plans and shopping behaviors, which can help retailers better prepare their stores.

Here’s a breakdown of our findings:

Most people will do a mix of in-store and online shopping

Although ecommerce plays an important role during the holidays, our survey showed that only 14% will be shopping entirely online. One key strategy for retailers will be to keep their online and in-store information updated and aligned, which will improve the overall customer experience as people switch between locations.

Shoppers will rely heavily on grocery stores

73% plan to take more grocery trips over the holidays, and 40% plan to spend more on grocery products than they usually do. That means despite economic concerns, customers will continue to seek popular holiday products and supplies from their local supermarket.

Generic brands will be in high demand

When asked about how they expect to react to inflation/economic uncertainties over the holidays, nearly half said they’ll be considering less expensive or generic brands. This is useful to keep in mind, especially for retailers who sell their own products.

More holiday insights coming soon!

This is only a portion of the survey data we collected, so keep an eye out for more resources that’ll help guide your strategy.