Research

Keeping Fresh in Focus While Navigating an Obstacle Course

As part of this year’s Speaks survey, FMI took a deep dive into what is happening in the fresh perimeter departments, and there was so much to report, that we created a separate deep dive into The State of Fresh Foods. Here are a few of the key ...

The Resilient U.S. Grocery Shopper

The dictionary defines resilient as, “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.” Certainly, shoppers have embodied this definition by protecting their own personal health and even navigating the business and operational ...

Who is The Animal-Alternative Product Shopper?

In the inaugural Power of Plant-based Foods and Beverages 2022 report, which is FMI’s first-ever comprehensive review of the plant-based topic broadly, we looked at naturally plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains and ...

Why Do Some Shoppers Order Online, But Still Go In-Store?

You’ve probably seen them—the grocery shoppers who order online, come to the store for curb-side pickup, then lock their car doors and go into the store to pick up something in addition to their online order. This particular online and in-store ...

From Sourdough-mania to Cooking Fatigue: Food Preparation Habits in a Post-Lockdown World

We all remember the seemingly boundless enthusiasm surrounding sourdough bread during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scrolling through our Facebook timelines, both Rick and I witnessed a flood of photos from friends eager to share their crusty ...

The Control Grocery Shoppers Want

During oppressively hot and humid summer afternoons, my family likes to indulge in movie trilogies. We recently revisited the classic Lord of the Rings for the umpteenth time. The obsession of the gold ring in the series always gets to me—how can it ...

Shoppers Take a Fresh Look at Private Brands

What do you know about shoppers’ views on grocery private brands? Consumer attitudes have evolved in the last couple of years, and food retailers and manufacturers can no longer rely on long-held ...

Math Question: Does the 80/20 Principle Apply to Online Grocery Shopping?

As we launch our third report in our ongoing journey of U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends series, Navigating the Hybrid World, some of the data prompted memories of my college days when one semester it seemed all of my professors lectured about the 80/20 ...

Grocery Shoppers Continue to Adapt and Evolve in a Challenging Landscape

The food retail industry continues to battle an obstacle course of issues, including the pandemic/endemic; supply chain challenges; inflation; domestic tragedies; and the ramifications of a war in Ukraine. With all this turmoil, it is comforting to ...

How are Increased Prices Changing Consumer Behavior?

At our weekly staff meeting, one of my colleagues lamented that she went grocery shopping over the weekend and spent more than she usually does despite buying less food. She is not alone. In the first quarter of this year, shoppers cut back on the ...

What Does It Mean to Eat More “Plant-Based” Foods and Beverages?

The connection between eating more plants and better health is undeniable. But what exactly does it mean to eat more “plant-based?...

Key Factors Influencing U.S. Grocery Shoppers

Consumers have witnessed a barrage of breaking news headlines over the last two years. Between a pandemic and resulting supply chain issues, and now increased inflation, there are weighty concerns on the minds of shoppers. However, Americans tell us ...

How Does FMI Know the Current State of the Food Industry?

The answer is from YOU. We know because the industry tells us each year when we ask, as we have been doing every year for more than 70 years. The first ever The Food Retailing Industry Speaks (Speaks) report appeared in 1949. Seventy-three years ...

All Hail Locally Grown: The King of Product Attributions

The farmer from down the street skillfully cultivating a lettuce patch, community field workers carefully inspecting the ripeness of strawberries and clean water from a local reservoir hydrating a nearby apple orchard – these are just some of the ...

The Time to Prepare is Now

Every year, more than 2 million workers become victims of workplace violence (WPV), and close to half of human resource professionals say their organization has experienced a WPV incident. In fact, workplace violence has become so pervasive, it’s ...