In an initial report on the current shopper landscape, the Food Industry Association in partnership with The Hartman Group analyzed shoppers’ concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and out-of-stock items.
“As of mid-February, 48 percent of shoppers report being extremely or very concerned with COVID-19, which is the lowest level of concern measured since the pandemic began,” FMI wrote in a blog post. “At the same time, more than half of Americans cite their worries about rising food prices, and 45 percent are concerned about out-of-stocks.”
The report also found that most shoppers sensitive to rising food prices are making the following behavior changes:
• 59 percent are looking for deals when shopping
• 58 percent are substituting products for economical alternatives
• 48 percent are changing how they buy groceries
• 35 percent are buying more store brand items
The next FMI report in the series will focus on 2022 shopper trends and will be available in May.
Related: Private Brands Grow During First Quarter; FMI, Meat Institute Release Power of Meat Report.