Covering shelf-stable and frozen foods—typically found in the center of the store—this report looks at the market performance of center-store groceries, and how consumers interact with this critical part of grocery shopping. Below, we summarise the key topics covered and offer handpicked insights from the report.
Key Topics Covered
- Analysis of sales trends for shelf-stable foods and frozen foods.
- The impact of rising prices on shopping behaviours and preferences in the center store.
- An assessment of the center store’s strengths and weaknesses compared to the perimeter.
- Shopper interest in a range of center-store product and promotion concepts.
- Opportunities to make the center-store shopping experience more engaging.
US Center-Store Grocery Market Size 2023-2028
After a period of disruption, center-store grocery retail is returning to a slow-growth pattern. Volume sales decreased in both major center-store segments in 2023 as consumption returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, inflation caused dollar sales to increase. Overall, Mintel’s forecast through 2028 reflects modest growth, as shown in the full report.
The Center of Store Consumer Explored
Preference for online versus in-store grocery shopping
While most consumers still prefer to shop in-store for groceries, about half of shoppers also make some of their center-store purchases online. Perimeter/fresh items are most likely to draw shoppers into physical stores, while larger pantry top-ups are often happening online.
Consumer perceptions of center-store grocery quality
While shoppers have noticed improvements, there are still doubts about the quality of center-store groceries. Nearly three-quarters agree that fresh foods are always healthier, and more than half believe center-store groceries are too processed.
Center-Store Grocery Market Opportunity
Center-store brands have made efforts to improve quality and health perceptions by reducing or eliminating artificial ingredients and added sugar. Yet, they still lag behind perimeter brands in terms of health perceptions. Marketers and retailers can sharpen the focus on nutrients and functional/health benefits of center-store products to improve perceptions.
Find a complete analysis in the full report. You may also be interested to browse our other retail market research.
Additional Features Included in Your Report
- Different Digital Formats: PDF for conveniently sharing with your team, PowerPoint for quickly including in your presentations.
- Custom PowerPoints: Incorporate our consumer research data into your own work so you can win over your clients and stakeholders. Select insights from your report to create a custom presentation that is ready to download in minutes.
- Interactive Databook: Each Databook is provided as an interactive website where you can deep dive into our consumer research data on your chosen topic so you can draw your own conclusions.
- Mintel’s Clients Portal: Our portal provides instant access to actionable analysis, podcasts, and trend pieces relevant to your industry that are published almost daily, as well as our annual Global Consumer Trends. You can also browse our extensive library of market research reports.
Expert Analysis
Leading food and retail analyst John Owen delivers expert industry insights with this report.
Even as shoppers focus more narrowly on prices, the center store has the potential to drive deeper engagement and loyalty.
John Owen
Associate Director – Food and Retail
Collapse All
-
- Key issues covered in this Report
-
Executive Summary
-
Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Center store shopping methods
- Graph 1: center-store and perimeter shopping methods, 2023
- Graph 2: center-store shopping methods, by age, 2023
- Center-store purchase factors
- Graph 3: center-store purchase factors, 2023
- Graph 4: center-store purchase factors, by age, 2023
- Correspondence analysis: center-store and perimeter departments
- Center-store shopping behaviors
- Graph 5: center-store shopping behaviors, 2023
- Graph 6: center-store shopping behaviors, by age, 2023
- Interest in center-store product concepts
- Graph 7: interest in center-store product concepts, 2023
- Graph 8: interest in center-store product concepts, by age, 2023
- Interest in center-store promotion concepts
- Graph 9: interest in center-store promotion concepts, by age, 2023
- Attitudes toward the center store
- Graph 10: attitudes toward the center store – quality, selection and health, by age, 2023
- Graph 11: attitudes toward the center store – shopping and routine, by age, 2023
-
Competitive Strategies
- Opportunities
- Graph 12: center-store shopping behaviors – switching to store brands, by household income, 2023
-
The Market
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Graph 13: assessment of personal financial situation, 2021-23
- Graph 14: center-store shopping behaviors, by assessment of personal financial status, 2023
- Graph 15: consumer spending percentage on food at home vs food away from home, 2023
- Market size and forecast
- Market segmentation
- Graph 16: total US retail sales and forecast of center-of-the-store foods, by segment, at current prices, 2018-22
-
Appendix
Mintel: Market Intelligence Made Easier
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
For further information about our research and analysis methods, visit our helpdesk.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
£ 3,695 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or purchase order
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save 10% on all orders with the code INSIGHTS2026
Offer available until the end of December only
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
