Many grocery shoppers are struggling with costs
By: Betty Lin-Fisher
USA Today
..... More than two-thirds of shoppers recently surveyed said they're struggling with the cost of groceries.
.....
In a survey by Swiftly, 68% of shoppers said because of overall inflation and raising food costs, they were struggling to pay their grocery bills.
..... "Affordability is a big challenge," Sean Turner, co-founder and chief technology officer of Swiftly, told USA Today. "Shoppers are struggling with inflation. Just to get the same amount of food or calories, they're having to actually spend more ... to get the same basket."
..... Additionally, nearly 80% said they trusted a local brick-and-mortar grocery store to deliver fair, personalized deals and offers over national retail giants like Amazon or Walmart.
..... The percentage of shoppers who say they struggle to afford groceries has been relatively high and steady for the last four years that Swiftly has asked shoppers, said Turner. Last year, [2024] 70% of respondents also said they were having trouble with grocery costs, he said.
..... Consumers typically tend to economize or spend less at the grocery store by buying cheaper products to bring the total cost down, Turner said. But consumer spending in raw dollars is staying relatively level or even increasing with inflation as consumers are "looking at ways to stretch that same dollar to get more value through things like coupling, loyalty programs and discounts, he said. More than 45% of shoppers said they spent between $100 to $500 on their weekly grocery bill.
.....
shoppers said they are looking for more ways to stretch their grocery budget, with 55.71% saying they shop based on discounts and promotions. Nealy seven in 10 (69.31%) said they rely on loyalty cards and their discounts while 70.85% rely on coupons, according to the survey.
.....
About 38% of shoppers are willing to try a new brand if it is offering a promotion or discount. A little over a third, or 33.23%, said they were likely to switch to a generic or private label brand if the preferred brad is too expensive.
.....
Shoppers say they've also had to reduce their spending in other areas of their budget in order to afford groceries, the survey found, with 75.22% of respondents saying they'd cut back.
.... The largest number, 37.75% of respondents, said they had reduced spending on entertainment like movies, concerts and shows, followed by 45.92% who said they've postponed or canceled travel plans, 45.23% who've bough fewer new clothes, and 40.31% who are eating or drinking out less. Almost a quarter (22.62%) said they had cut back on subscriptions or personal services, like streaming, the salon or gym memberships.
..... Although Swiftly did not ask survey respondents why they trust local grocery stores to offer fair and personalized deals more than national retailers, Turner said it could be a general distrust of larger institutions or perhaps a response to larger retailers using AI-based pricing strategies.
..... Local Grocers are also fellow community members, said David Cutler, vice president of media relations & public affairs for the National Grocers Association, which repentants independent community grocers.
..... "Shoppers trust independent grocers because they are deeply rooted in their communities and accountable to the neighbors they serve every day, not shareholders," Cutler told USA today in response to a query.