2013 NGA-SupermarketGuru Consumer Panel Survey Part 3

In our last edition of our special report on the NGA SupermarketGuru Annual Consumer Panel Survey, we take a look at how Fresh foods continue to rise in consumer esteem.

In our last edition of our special report on the NGA SupermarketGuru Annual Consumer Panel Survey, we take a look at how Fresh foods continue to rise in consumer esteem: 84.3% spend more than half of their fresh-food dollars in the supermarket, and a growing percentage (28.4%, up from 26.0% in 2012) give the grocer more than nine-tenths of their fresh-food budget. People say they buy fresh mostly for “health” (58.2%), but also for “taste” (37.5%). We also wondered what is going on in the kitchens at home. Supermarkets have a big opportunity to foster more confidence in home kitchens—because only slightly more than half of consumers (52.4%) say they feel in control, “confident” in their own living spaces. Another 12.6% say they “have the magic touch.” That’s not bad, nearly two-thirds of the nation. But if more people felt as ready to cook, supermarkets could sell them more. To compare, the number of confident cooks dropped four points from last year. To spur consumers along—especially the 42.0% who “like to experiment, create own recipes” and the 25.5% who are “enthusiastic” cooks, supermarkets should share cooking knowledge through handouts, classes and the Web. Almost three-quarters of U.S. adults want better kitchen skills, we believe it is being fueled by the desire to enjoy meals more with their families and maybe spend less on quality ingredients. Who wants this most: consumers 24 and younger; Hispanics, African-Americans ; and households of 5 or more. Nearly half the nation is cooking more at home in recent years. Not quite as high as the 50.9% of 2012 and 2011, but still significant activity that and is pretty consistent across every income tier. Each year’s benchmark survey findings help NGA’s members compete. Insights keep these nimble operators in sync with consumers, who favor stores that make it easier to integrate food with their daily lives. For the 2013 NGA SupermarketGuru Consumer Panel report, visit nationalgrocers.org