Trend to Track: Grocery Shoppers Hit More Stores in Search of Best Prices

Placer.ai and Dunnhumby research presented on Nov. 30 during Placer.ai’s “2022 Grocery Round-Up” webinar revealed that consumers are spending more time shopping at grocery stores across the industry, but basket sizes are smaller. 

“We know that gas prices are high,” said Ethan Chernofsky, vice president of marketing for Placer.ai, a location analytics provider. “We know that costs are on everyone’s minds. Is this an opportunity from a grocery perspective? How do you lean into the upsell opportunity for the larger basket sizes?”

“I’m willing to bet that they’re probably spending a little extra time trying to save money as inflation is a force acting on them,” said Erich Kahner, Dunnhumby North America’s director of strategy and insights, during the webinar. “The need to save money becomes more important than the need to save time.”

For many conventional supermarkets, the holidays become a chance for them to win additional consumers, who might not normally visit them. Consumers are coming in for specific food product offerings, particularly fresh meat, which is the centerpiece of many holiday tables, Kahner said.

“They’re coming in to do all their food spend there when they don’t typically,” he said. “It’s more about building bigger baskets and making moments other than holidays more significant for them.”

Taking Advantage of Moments of Urgency

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving — or as Placer.ai has coined it, “Turkey Wednesday” — is the biggest day for grocery visits in America. And this year was no different, with a massive surge in visits the day before Thanksgiving.