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- Retail /
- Online Grocery /
- US Online Discovery Process in Food & Drink Market Report 2022
“While shoppers remain conservative in food and drink spend amid inflationary pricing and economic uncertainty, new product trial is seen. The online grocery space provides fertile ground for product discovery, given its standing as a relatively new frontier itself. A larger share of shoppers agrees they’re more likely to try a new product online than in-store. However, assurance is necessary, which can most effectively come from personal recommendations, price incentives and sampling.”
– Vince DiGirolamo – Director – US Reports
This Report looks at the following areas
- Food and drink shopping habits and behaviors, including new product trial
- Inspiration for food/drink exploration
- Sources of food/drink discovery
- Motivations for food/drink trial
- Attitudes toward food/drink discovery, including the role of technology
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Overview
- What you need to know
- This Report looks at the following areas
- Definition
- Market context
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Figure 1: Category outlook, 2022-27
- Opportunities and challenges
- Food/drink trial is stunted, but familiarity can help
- Figure 2: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product trial, 2022
- Under 45s are more flexible in their shopping decisions
- Figure 3: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product choice, by age, 2022
- More than half of shoppers are more likely to try new products when shopping online
- Figure 4: Attitudes toward food/drink discovery – Online – agree, by age, 2022
- Technology enables food/drink discovery, must lean into practicality to equate to sales
- Figure 5: Attitudes toward technology in food/drink discovery, 2022
- Key consumer insights
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Target Audience by the Numbers
- Who’s shopping online?
- Close to half of US adults shop for food and drink online
- Figure 6: Channels shopped for food and drink, 2022
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- Figure 7: Channels shopped for food and drink, 2019-22
- Frequency of online shopping can impact messaging tactics
- Figure 8: Channels shopped for food and drink – Online frequency, by demographics, 2022
- Store types shopped for food/drink online
- Amazon and mass outlets lead online purchase
- Figure 9: Retailers shopped by channel, 2022
- Food/drink categories shopped online
- Coffee and non-perishable food have the strongest online draw
- Figure 10: Food/drink categories shopped, by channel, 2022
- Young shoppers and parents are starting points in online expansion
- Figure 11: Food/drink categories shopped by channel – Any online (net*), by gender and age, 2022
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- Figure 12: Food/drink categories shopped by channel – Any online (net*), by parental status, 2022
- Who’s shopping online?
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Market Factors
- Online grocery shopping settles into a more permanent practice
- Figure 13: Anticipated online grocery shopping, 2022
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- Figure 14: Current perspective on coronavirus – I feel comfortable relaxing my personal COVID-19 safety measures – agree, 2022
- Inflation will continue to favor spend on food at home, pursuit of value
- Figure 15: Changes in consumer price indexes for food, 2020 through 2023
- Figure 16: Methods for saving money on food and drink, 2022
- Unemployment creeps up from 50-year low
- Figure 17: Unemployment, 2020-22
- Brands must tap into and keep up with consumer technology
- Figure 18: Tech device use and interest, 2022
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- Figure 19: Digital technologies use and interest, 2022
- Online grocery shopping settles into a more permanent practice
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Competitive Strategies and Market Opportunities
- Meet consumers where they are and tell them where to go next
- Figure 20: Devices used for online browsing/buying, by age, 2022
- Grocery store as showroom
- Scan-and-shop tech will have the easiest near-term lift
- Figure 21: Technology used while shopping, by age, 2022
- Overcome prepopulated carts with “you may also like…” recommendations
- Meet consumers where they are and tell them where to go next
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The Consumer – Fast Facts
- Most shoppers stick to a plan when shopping for food/drink
- New food/drink trial is stalled amid financial insecurity
- Shoppers are more willing to try an unfamiliar brand when shopping online
- Brands must deputize shoppers to become product marketers
- Sampling your way into consumers’ carts
- Tech connectivity is the way forward for brands
- Most shoppers stick to a plan when shopping for food/drink
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Shopping Habits and Behaviors
- Product choice
- Most shoppers stick to a plan, but a quarter give in to impulse
- Figure 22: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product choice, 2022
- Product trial
- Small brands see big movement
- Figure 23: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product trial, 2022
- Younger shoppers can be enticed to diverge from the plan
- Figure 24: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product choice, by age, 2022
- Figure 25: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product trial – New foods/drinks, by age, 2022
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- Figure 26: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product trial – Familiar/new brand, by age, 2022
- Parents are less likely to stick to a plan, but stick with brands
- Figure 27: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product choice, by parental status, 2022
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- Figure 28: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product trial – New foods/drinks, by parental status, 2022
- Price promotion can drive discovery during time of financial insecurity
- Figure 29: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product choice, by financial situation, 2022
- Small brands are resonating with core consumers
- Figure 30: Shopping habits and behaviors – Product trial – Big/small brand, by race/Hispanic origin, 2022
- Research/online
- Shoppers do their research, more likely to try a new product online
- Figure 31: Attitudes toward food/drink discovery – Research/online, 2022
- Informing can help in appealing to consumers under 45
- Figure 32: Attitudes toward food/drink discovery – Research/online – agree, by age, 2022
- Product choice
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Inspiration for Food/Drink Exploration
- Direct experience is most impactful in driving exploration
- Figure 33: Inspiration for food/drink exploration, 2022
- Sample your way into women’s consideration set
- Figure 34: Lizzo’s Instacart Instagram post, 2022
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- Figure 35: Inspiration for food/drink exploration, by gender and age, 2022
- Social media serves-up accessible expertise to parents
- Figure 36: Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato Dole Whip Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 37: Inspiration for food/drink exploration, by parental status, 2022
- Sampling has greater impact among suburban and rural shoppers
- Figure 38: Inspiration for food/drink exploration, by area, 2022
- Personal trusted sources provide security amid financial insecurity
- Figure 39: Inspiration for food/drink exploration, by financial situation, 2022
- Direct experience is most impactful in driving exploration
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Sources of Food/Drink Discovery
- In-store browsing is a strong source of product discovery
- Figure 40: Sources of food/drink discovery, 2022
- Family/friends hold widest sway, TikTok influences half of young women
- Figure 41: Sources of food/drink discovery, by gender and age, 2022
- Parents rely on social media for product research/education
- Figure 42: Sources of food/drink discovery, by parental status, 2022
- In-store browsing is a strong source of product discovery
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Motivations for Food/Drink Trial
- Practicality outweighs aspiration as a trial motivator
- Figure 43: Kroger taco bowl meal prep, 2022
- Figure 44: Motivations for food/drink trial, 2022
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- Figure 45: Attitudes toward food/drink discovery – Motivators, 2022
- Reviews don’t have to be personal for younger shoppers
- Figure 46: Motivations for food/drink trial, by gender and age, 2022
- Young adults respond to promotional tactics that align wants and needs
- Figure 47: McCormick Let’s talk about umami Instagram post, 2022
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- Figure 48: Sprouts National burger day Instagram post, 2022
- Figure 49: Attitudes toward food/drink discovery – Motivators – agree, by age, 2022
- Reach moms through reviews, sales and samples
- Figure 50: Motivations for food/drink trial, by parental status, 2022
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- Figure 51: Attitudes toward food/drink discovery – Motivators – agree, by parental status, 2022
- Assurance holds equal value as price amid financial struggle
- Figure 52: Motivations for food/drink trial, by financial situation, 2022
- Practicality outweighs aspiration as a trial motivator
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Attitudes toward Technology in Food/Drink Discovery
- Tech enables food/drink discovery, but consumers want more
- Figure 53: Instagram ads that feature retailer, 2022
- Figure 54: Attitudes toward technology in food/drink discovery, 2022
- Click to order meets young adult (aka future core shopper) demands
- Figure 55: Attitudes toward technology in food/drink discovery – agree, by age, 2022
- Parents are particularly tech reliant
- Figure 56: Attitudes toward technology in food/drink discovery – agree, by parental status, 2022
- Tech enables food/drink discovery, but consumers want more
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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