A report from Acosta found that 76% of shoppers visit multiple stores each week for groceries, and most of these consumers shop around to find cheaper products. In addition, 37% visit other stores to ensure they have fresh food, and 33% do so because they can’t find all the brands they like at one location.
The report also notes that 53% of shoppers choose a retailer based on a preference for specific store brands, up from 34% in 2011.
So, grocery chains should take note (and most likely they are) that while price is a motivating factor for grocery shoppers, selection, freshness and private label quality are also very important. And while store traffic may be up overall due to consumers shopping around and making multiple grocery trips each week, it is likely that basket size per visit is down.
The findings help explain the proliferation of non-traditional food retailers, as consumers aren’t finding everything they want at a traditional grocery store.