Research

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 ...

Six Degrees of Separation No More

After two full years of being separated and unable to participate in-person at events, it was a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) to attend the Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Innovation Showcase in Overland Park, KS, March 21-23. ...

The Price is Right… On Par with Appearance and Ripeness

According to FMI’s 2022 Power of Produce report, price now ranks as the number-one factor produce consumers consider. Twenty-five percent of shoppers ranked price first when making fresh produce purchasing decisions, followed by appearance (19%), ...

The Power of Meat Is Coming!

Amongst the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain challenges and price increases, myriad factors are impacting the ever-changing landscape shaped by consumer shopping trends. How are these factors impacting the meat department? The Power of Meat 2022, ...

Consumers Continue to Value Transparency as Perspectives Evolve

Shoppers consider a range of stakeholders, from manufacturer brands to grocery stores, as responsible for providing transparency. However, the high levels of responsibility don’t equate to similarly high levels of shopper trust. A case in point is ...