Seven trends will drive US supermarkets: IFT

Cost-conscious, middle- and low-income shoppers account for about 70% of US grocery sales. Their focus on value-for-money shopping habits will increasingly drive the retail sector, predicted the organisation. Even better off US consumers were looking for cost savings by shopping in a variety of different channels in order to economise.

The other top three trends were: Healthy living and fresh food; Smaller grocery stores; and Fresh prepared foods and meal solutions.

Up to 92% of US adults believed that eating at home was healthier than eating out, according to research this year.

The move towards smaller grocery stores was also a key trend shaping the development of the sector. Smaller grocery stores enjoyed a market advantage in being able to refine their offerings based on neighbourhood purchasing patterns, said the IFT.

Online options​

The other four trends influencing the US supermarket sector were: Fresh prepared foods; Meal solutions; Mobile commerce; and Online options.

The fresh prepared foods trend arose from the fact that more than half of American households were composed of only one or two people, according to the US Census Bureau in 2012. “Consumers often look to stores as their ‘sous chef,’” ​said the IFT. “Consumers often just want to put the finishing touches on an item and avoid the slicing, dicing, and marinating that often come with food preparation,” ​it added, based on research conducted by the Food Marketing Institute this year.

With Meal solutions, many retailers are putting their own spin on high-quality fare that reflects trendy culinary influences, such as chef-prepared main courses and salads, ethnic fare, brunch stations, and gelato bars in stores.

Meat components​

Also, supermarkets were bundling together meal components that are tasty and easy to prepare.

The trend towards Mobile commerce reflected the observation by Catalina Marketing that there are more than 1,000 grocery shopping apps for the iPhone. “Digitising supermarket ads and coupons for smartphones, computers, and tablets are important to drive sales and form deeper connections with shoppers,” ​said the IFT.

The final trend – Online options – was based on the expectation that more people will buy stable food and drink products online rather than in grocery stores. While the market for online ordering is growing, grocery shopping is such a sensory experience it will probably never become totally online, according to research by PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Grocery shopping is more likely to become a hybrid online and in-store process.

“With convenience and value being key drivers when it comes to grocery shopping, successful retailers will be those who adapt to changes in consumer product preferences, technology and lifestyle needs,”​ said the IFT.

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Seven top supermarket trends​

1. Price-driven consumers

2. Healthy living and fresh food

3. Smaller grocery stores

4. Fresh prepared foods

5. Meal Solutions

6. Mobile Commerce

7. Online Options

 Source: IFT