Affinity Group Shares What to Expect from Holiday Shoppers

Affinity Group, a North American-based team of professionals focused on providing the foodservice and food retail industry with sales support, planning and strategy, announced the results of their latest Thought Leadership Series Survey which focused on what we can expect from shoppers this holiday season. 

Known for being a bridge to success when it comes to the foodservice and retail food channels, Affinity Group has their finger on the pulse of operators. From strategic sales planning and culinary solutions to consumer insight and training, this is the team in the know. So, it was easy for their team to interview 534 primary grocery shoppers in the northeast region. 

“As for most of the year, consumers have watched food prices rise, it’s no surprise that inflation is first among a long list of economic concerns for shoppers,” says Affinity Group CEO, Enzo Dentico. “Many will try to cut costs by reducing purchases of prepared foods, or in some cases making those items themselves.”

Some Key Takeaways from the Survey:

• As the year has progressed, even though the general economy has remained stable, shoppers’ confidence in their family finances has grown steadily weaker
• As budgets tighten, households first cut back on non-essential spending and shifted those dollars so they can continue to maintain their shopping habits for essentials like food
• Most shoppers have high levels of concern for the holidays, centered around continued inflation and also the potential for out of stocks. These concerns will influence what, when, and where they buy
• However, in what should be the first “normal” holiday in a few years, there is a desire to maintain family meal traditions, even if that means sacrificing other conveniences or making normally purchased items from scratch to save money
• Because shoppers are less willing to substitute items during the holidays, out of stocks are less likely to result in buying an alternative and instead create lost sales as they seek the preferred item from other retailers