2025 Consumer Trends: Understanding the Logic of Grocery Shopping

Consumer Attitudes Towards Grocery Shopping

American consumers continue to enjoy grocery shopping and have kept their shopping habits remarkably consistent despite persistent economic challenges, according to the latest annual survey by FMI – The Food Industry Association, conducted by The Hartman Group. The analysis offers timely insights into consumer grocery shopping behaviors and shoppers’ logic behind food budgets and shopping decisions.

Despite several years of economic uncertainty, shoppers’ attitudes and habits around grocery shopping have remained stable. FMI found that consumers prioritize four key things when shopping for food: health, entertainment, exploration, and convenience. Satisfying these needs are crucial to shoppers, and they tailor their overall budgets and food spending behaviors to ensure they ‘eat well’.

Consumer Sentiment and Concerns

• Most Americans (70%) are extremely or very worried about rising grocery prices.
• 78% are at least somewhat concerned about the impact of tariffs on the cost of imported food and ingredients.
• 75% report feeling in control over their grocery spending.

While consumer confidence in controlling food spending has declined in recent months, shoppers are adopting various strategies to stretch their food budget further. Traditional methods like list-making, taking household inventory, meal planning, and seeking out coupons or discounts remain the most common approaches.

Consumer Aspirations to ‘Eat Well’

To better understand consumer behavior, FMI explored shopper aspirations to “eat well,” an outlook that forms the foundation for how shoppers think about value and shapes their choices about what food to buy, how to cook, and where to shop. Despite economic pressures, consumers overwhelmingly express their enjoyment of grocery shopping and their willingness to budget in order to ‘eat well’ based on their specific values and needs.

Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI, stated, “Most shoppers prioritize health, entertainment, exploration, and convenience when shopping for food. Satisfying these key needs are important to shoppers, and they tailor their overall budgets and food spending behaviors to ensure they ‘eat well’.”

Consumer Strategies for ‘Eating Well’

• List-making
• Household inventory
• Meal planning
• Seeking out coupons or discounts

Consumer Confidence and Future Outlook

While consumer confidence in controlling food spending has declined slightly, the majority of consumers still feel in control of their grocery budget. As shoppers continue to adapt to economic challenges and uncertainties, understanding consumer behavior and aspirations to ‘eat well’ will be crucial for food and beverage professionals to meet evolving consumer needs.

Industry Insights

• Consumers prioritize health, entertainment, exploration, and convenience when shopping for food.
• Rising grocery prices and concerns about tariffs impact consumer spending habits.
• Consumer confidence in controlling food spending has declined in recent months.
• Consumers are adopting various strategies to stretch their food budget further.

Conclusion

Understanding consumer trends and behaviors is essential for food and beverage professionals to meet the evolving needs of shoppers. As consumers prioritize health, entertainment, exploration, and convenience in their food choices, industry players must adapt to provide products and services that align with these values. By staying informed about consumer attitudes and aspirations, businesses can better navigate the changing landscape of the food and beverage industry.

Industry Analysis

The consumer trends revealed in the FMI survey indicate a strong consumer focus on ‘eating well’ and prioritizing health, entertainment, exploration, and convenience in food choices. Rising grocery prices and concerns about tariffs are impacting consumer spending habits, leading to a slight decline in consumer confidence in controlling food spending. As consumers continue to adapt to economic challenges, the food and beverage industry must be prepared to meet evolving consumer needs and preferences. By understanding consumer behavior and aspirations, businesses can position themselves for success in the changing landscape of the global food and beverage industry.