Food for Thought: Phononic Survey Reveals Insight on U.S. Grocery Shopping Trends Now and Through the Holidays
November 20 2018 - 12:30PM
Business Wire
Quality trumps cost, and generational
differences emerge over store loyalty and need for convenience
Phononic, the global leader in solid-state cooling and heating
that is breaking the boundaries of semiconductor innovation, today
announced the findings of its most recent survey evaluating
consumer food shopping habits. The State of Grocery Retail Report
from Phononic – which surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. consumers –
uncovered insights into shoppers’ routine patterns, as well as
specific trends during the busy holiday season. Additionally, the
study looked to evaluate how preferences are evolving as younger
Millennial and Gen Z consumers increasingly become a dominant
buying cohort.
While conversations about the “grocery wars” today often center
around price, Phononic’s study showed that consumers prefer to shop
at food retailers that offer the best quality over those with the
lowest price tags. In fact, quality was the highest-ranking factor
(31%) that consumers consider when choosing a food retailer.
“With the rise of eCommerce, consumers have come to demand
convenience and a seamless experience no matter where they shop,
and brick-and-mortar retailers are increasingly embracing advanced
in-store technology to compete in the digital age,” said Nicole
Scott, Senior Product Manager, Food & Beverage at Phononic.
“This survey also clearly shows that solid-state freezers and
refrigerators at checkout can help innovative grocery retailers
meet the high consumer demand for quality and convenience –
ultimately improving brand loyalty.”
Phononic’s Store of the Future report, released earlier this
year, found that 89% of consumers want to shop in a grocery store
that understands how to make buying groceries an easier and/or more
efficient experience. The State of Grocery Retail Report found that
convenience is even more critical during the often stressful and
busy holiday months, with 55% of consumers feeling that grocery
retailers could make their lives easier this holiday season by
grouping holiday items in one area of the store. The youngest
demographic polled (ages 18-24), were especially drawn to
convenience, with a quarter of respondents in this age group
wanting to see popular items at checkout (26%) and pre-made holiday
meal offerings (24%).
The good news for retailers is that consumers – across age
groups – are most often loyal to one grocery store for the majority
of their shopping, with just under a third (29%) identifying
themselves as loyal shoppers. However, this trend shifts when
looking at Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Thirty-four percent of
18-24-year-old respondents identify themselves as Bargain Hunters –
demonstrating that food retailers must foster loyalty among this
demographic. The study also found that the holiday season can
impact loyalty, with 34% of consumers noting that during the
holidays they make several trips to a variety of different stores
for food shopping.
The report also revealed several additional key findings related
to the holiday shopping season:
- Grocery stores should rethink the
checkout line, as one in four consumers (25%) would like to see
more fresh produce offered at checkout this holiday season – even
beating out alcohol, which came in third at 17%.
- The regional grocery store is still
a staple for consumers during the holidays, with 43% of
respondents noting they do most of their holiday food shopping at
these stores.
- When it comes to holiday meal
essentials, consumers want convenience, with one in six
respondents noting they want premade holiday meal offerings to make
their lives easier during the holidays, and one in four wanting to
see fresh produce such as vegetables at checkout. When it comes to
favorite holiday meals that consumers may want to see more of from
food retailers, more than half (51%) of consumers surveyed listed
mashed potatoes as a must-have side dish on their holiday table
followed by stuffing at 45%.
- Consumers want food retailers to
make the holidays easier and more efficient, with the majority
of shoppers (57%) agreeing that the crowds and long lines are the
most frustrating part of shopping during the holidays.
- Finally, turkey trends haven’t
changed with the times, with the majority (57%) still buying
their Thanksgiving turkey in a traditional grocery store, further
solidifying the report’s finding that most consumers identify as
loyal shoppers.
For more information on this study, please visit:
https://content.phononic.com/2018/State-of-Grocery-Retail-Report.
Phononic is revolutionizing the food & beverage industry
with sustainable freezers and refrigerators that are transforming
the retail environment. Offering everything from new placement
opportunities and new revenue streams to earth-friendly
sustainability, Phononic’s solid-state technology and thermal
system design are rendering compressors obsolete. To learn more,
visit: https://phononic.com/commercial-refrigeration/.
About Phononic
Phononic is reimagining cooling and heating in ways never
thought possible. Its breakthrough technology is transforming
industries and creating new markets with innovative solid-state
solutions that disrupt traditional models and ways of working.
Using less energy, less ozone-depleting chemicals, less noise and
space, Phononic’s thermal engine and integrated system design allow
designers, engineers and industry leaders to reinvent and explore
what’s possible. Phononic is the critical element of innovation
needed to radically change what it means to be efficient, effective
and sustainable. Rethink what has been designed to keep things cool
and hot.
For more information visit www.phononic.com or follow
us on Twitter @Phononic_Inc.
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PAN CommunicationsEmily Featherston,
617-502-4300phononic@pancomm.com