Grocery Deep Dive

In our latest whitepaper, we took a deep dive into grocery foot traffic data uncovering many of the fascinating shifts the industry has seen since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. To get a bird’s-eye-view of the broader grocery sector trends, we analyzed a sample group of over 15 leading grocers. Below is a taste of what we found, but the full report can be downloaded here.

Shopping Preferences Have Changed

Routines and habits have changed dramatically for millions during the pandemic, and time-related changes in customer behavior have taken place as a result. Year-over-year daily foot traffic performances from March through September 2020 showed that favored grocery shopping days have changed for many Americans, resulting in a 2% decrease in Sundays’ daily visit share and a stronger preference for weekday visits.

Rise of Mission-Driven Shopping and Traditional Stores

Another interesting shift centered around a changing balance between visits per visitor and visit duration. While many brands saw declines in the number of visits per customer, they also saw significant year-over-year increases in the average visit duration. Essentially, consumers are looking to accomplish more on each visit while making fewer visits overall, a trend known as mission-driven shopping - one of the most significant shifts for grocers, shopping center owners and co-tenants alike.

Quick Adaptation to Change is a Must

Analyzing some of the top brands in grocery, we found unique patterns that benefitted some key players, while limiting the performance of others. Most fascinating though, was seeing the strategies utilized by one of those lower-level performers to drive a strong turnaround during the recovery period. After seeing major declines in traffic early on in the pandemic, Trader Joe’s was able to quickly adapt, enabling it to drive a strong recovery.