This Years Supermarket Trends And Statistics
Business
Supermarkets have become giant companies over the last few generations going from food sellers to everything sellers. With rising costs of labour and products these companies are being tested more so than ever before. The way consumers are shopping is changing and supermarkets continue to adopt new strategies to keep ahead of the game. From a bigger focus to organic food and sustainability with even artisan brands hitting the shelves the consumer knows best. Lets jump in and dissect all the information coming out this year and where your favorite supermarket is heading.
Grocery Delivery Apps A New Wave
With Sydney based company MilkRun raising over $75 million in its first four months from Tiger Global you can see this industry is emerging.1 Other companies around the world like DoorDash and Instacart have helped to popularize this new way of shopping. Consumers are slim on time with work commitments and family stresses so having groceries delivered makes sense. With fast turnaround times promised and an effort of convenience this industry is booming. The downfall to these grocery delivery apps is that they are often unreliable, going as far as cancelling orders or forgetting items. Many times they are also expensive with delivery fees and surge prices. You can also forget about being able to pick your own produce, often getting whatever is available that day.
Walmart Is Still The King
When it comes to American food and grocery shopping even in the shift to online spending Walmart takes the cake. In fact 37% of Americans still do their online grocery shopping on the Walmart website.2 They aren’t slowing down anytime soon with their recent partnership with Google. Customers will now be able to order groceries through Google Assistant, making the process even easier. With their brick and mortar locations as well as online presence, it’s hard to compete.
Supermarkets Are The Main Player In The USA
With an astonishing 63,000 stores in America supermarkets are still reaping the rewards of their huge tentacle operations.3 Some of these are independent with just 5 employees and some are major operations with over 500. A shift to independent grocers is on consumers mind and the urge to spend local to keep business afloat after recent years. If you’re buying organic food and produce then finding independent business can help to increase the profit to the farmer too which is often overlooked at major companies.
Supermarkets On Health Trends
Supermarket giants continue to pay attention to consumer spending and have been sourcing products which are usually harder to find. Such artisan based products like bone broths, soups, collagen, kombucha and other fermented foods have been appearing on shelves. These products usually fall under the health umbrella and with an increased focus on self-care, supermarkets are cashing in.
What About Sustainability?
The biggest universal change we are seeing and hearing about is the move to sustainability and away from single-use plastics. We are seeing this with the introduction of reusable bags, banning plastic straws and other eco-friendly initiatives. Kroger has even announced it will be selling its own line of sustainable products by 2025 under the Simple Truth brand. This brand already offers over 2,000 products which are natural, organic or free from added colors and artificial ingredients. These products will be made using recycled materials and will have a lower environmental impact.
Fresher And More Convenient Meals
Another big change we are seeing is an increase in home meal delivery and the option to buy prepared foods that are fresher and healthier. These meals often come in compostable or recyclable packaging and can be heated up in minutes. Services like Daily Harvest, Sun Basket, Hello Fresh and Green Chef are becoming more popular as our lives get busier. These prepared meals often have less sodium and fat and more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. They can be a great option for those who want to eat healthier but don’t have the time to cook. Many supermarkets are taking this on board offering a display of freshly prepared but packaged meals for easy to heat options. This will help to ensure families are not eating microwaved cardboard meals like years past.
In Conclusion For The Supermarket Industry
The supermarket industry is in for some big changes in the next few years. With the introduction of new technology, we are seeing a move to online grocery shopping. Supermarkets are also taking note of health trends and stocking products that are usually harder to find. Sustainability is also becoming a big focus for many companies with the introduction of eco-friendly initiatives. And finally, we are seeing a shift to fresher and more convenient meals with the increase in home meal delivery and prepared food options.
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