July 4th Celebrants Shop Food, Alcohol

Of the 63 percent of consumers who plan to celebrate Independence Day, 94 percent plan to make a purchase, with food items being the most popular (83 percent), followed by alcoholic beverages (48 percent), then non-alcoholic beverages (38 percent), according to a report from data insights firm Numerator.

The report surveyed over 5,500 consumers in April and found that the following ten categories are to see the largest market penetration increases during the holiday: package rolls & buns, hot dogs, mayonnaise, ready-to-drink alcohol beverages, ice, chips, sausage, beer, dips, and ice cream & novelties.

Additional key findings from the report are:

Independence Day celebrators plan to spend the holiday with others: Seventy-three percent of consumers plan to celebrate the Fourth of July with the top plans including gathering with family and friends (58 percent), grilling or barbecuing (56 percent), attending a public celebration (31 percent), cooking or baking at home (26 percent), and hosting others at home (18 percent).

Holiday plans vary by generation and regionality: Compared to all celebrators, Gen Z is three times as likely to say they will go out for drinks and twice as likely to go out to eat or order food for takeout or delivery; additionally, Midwestern consumers are more likely to attend a public celebration such as a parade or fireworks while Western consumers are more likely to travel for the holiday.

Beer is the preferred alcoholic beverage for Independence Day: Among those who plan to purchase alcohol, beer (75 percent plan to buy) is the top choice, followed by spirits or spirit-based drinks (40 percent), wine (38 percent), and hard seltzers or canned cocktails (35 percent).

The majority of shoppers plan to buy from grocery or big-box stores: 63 percent of Independence Day shoppers plan to buy their supplies from grocery stores such as Kroger and Publix, 54 percent expect to buy from big-box stores such as Walmart and Costco, and 26 percent expect to shop at liquor stores.