Oct 29, 2021

By Steve Markenson, Director, Research & Insights, FMI

turkey meal

The holiday season is a time to look back at the past year and look forward with anticipation to the coming year. The past year, and indeed the past 20 months, have been tumultuous to say the least for the food industry, but the one positive has been the increase in food consumption at home. Next week, FMI and Mastercard Data & Services will take a look at the broader retail industries, and specifically the food retail industry’s, performance over the past year. Join us on November 3 to learn about the following:

  • Mastercard’s SpendingPulse™ projects significant growth in overall retail sales this year, with strong growth when compared to 2019. But what is driving this growth? We will explore the evolution of the physical retail store, expansion of digital channels and the role of personalization.
  • Data show that food retail spending among consumers took a big jump last year and has continued to grow this year. What is driving these increases? Is it sustainable? We will explore the role of brick-and-mortar and ecommerce in food retail sales.
  • Consumers are planning for a return to celebrating the holidays this year. What will these celebrations look like? Who and how many will be present? What will shoppers’ spending look like? When will they be spending?
  • Consumers have a lot on their minds as the holidays approach. Are they still concerned about COVID-19? Are they concerned about food shortages and out-of-stocks? What are they experiencing when shopping in terms of prices rising on food?
  • Food retailers have received high marks from shoppers for their response to the pandemic. How are shoppers rating their primary grocery store for their COVID-19 response at this point in the pandemic? Do they feel their primary grocery store is on their side in helping them stay healthy? Who is on their side and who is working against them?

We will look in our rearview mirrors, take out our crystal balls and more on November 3 at 1 p.m. ET. Join us for some intriguing data, valuable insights and lively discussion based on data from Mastercard’s SpendingPulse™ and FMI’s newly released U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends Tracker: Holidays. 

Register For The Holiday Season and Beyond: What’s in Store for Grocers?